Anxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of abnormal, pathological anxiety, fears, phobias and nervous conditions that may come on suddenly or gradually over a period of several years, and may impair or prevent the pursuing of normal daily routines.Anxiety and fear are ubiquitous emotions. ~ The terms anxiety and fear have specific scientific meanings, but common usage has made them interchangeable. ~ For example, a phobia is a kind of anxiety that is also defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) as a "persistent or irrational fear." Fear is defined as an emotional and physiological response to a recognized external threat (eg, a runaway car or an impending crash in an airplane). ~ Anxiety is an unpleasant emotional state, the sources of which are less readily identified. ~ It is frequently accompanied by physiological symptoms that may lead to fatigue or even exhaustion. ~ Because fear of recognized threats causes similar unpleasant mental and physical changes, patients use the terms fear and anxiety interchangeably. ~ Thus, there is little need to strive to differentiate anxiety from fear. ~ However, distinguishing among different anxiety disorders is important, since accurate diagnosis is more likely to result in effective treatment and a better prognosis.
