overview of anxiety disorders
Mental Health Information Centre of SA

Introduction
Anxiety disorders are of the most common mental illnesses in South Africa. Yet, many people who suffer from an anxiety disorder lead unhappy, dysfunctional and unproductive lives, often because of a lack of understanding of the problem and the knowledge that help is available. This presents considerable medical and related costs, but also human costs such as lost productivity, marital breakdown and the disruption of family life. Furthermore, anxiety disorders left untreated often lead to the co-existence of other problems such as alcohol abuse and depression.

By educating the general public about the symptoms and treatment options available for such disorders, the MHIC aims to empower the South African community to make informed decisions regarding personal mental health status.

What are the anxiety disorders?
Anxiety is a normal emotion. Anxiety is helpful when we face dangerous or difficult circumstances, it helps sharpen our focus and attention, and it is therefore present in all cultures and peoples (past and present). Nevertheless, too much anxiety can cause us distress and discomfort, and may interfere with our work or social life. Distress and interference is the crucial distinction between normal anxiety and a clinical condition needing treatment. There are different types of anxiety, including:

Generalized anxiety disorder: Characterized by excessive worry about real-life events (e.g. finances, health, the future), and accompanied by bodily symptoms of anxiety (e.g. insomnia, muscle tension, and so forth).

Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Characterized by obsessions (recurrent intrusive thoughts or images that increase anxiety) and compulsions (repetitive behaviours or mental acts often done to neutralize obsessions).

Panic disorder: Characterized by panic attacks - surges of anxiety with physical symptoms (e.g. racing pulse, feeling short of breath, chest pain, sweating, or trembling) and accompanying thoughts (e.g. having to flee) - that come on "out of the blue".

Phobias: Characterized by intense fear of specific things or situations e.g. animals or insects, natural situations (e.g. heights or closed spaces), blood or needles or injury, with subsequent avoidance of these.

Posttraumatic stress disorder: Development of anxiety symptoms after a traumatic event (e.g. assault, rape, and natural disaster). These include thoughts and memories of the trauma, avoidance of places and people associated with the trauma, and being very aroused (easily frightened, irritable, and so forth).

Social anxiety disorder: Characterized by fear of embarrassing or humiliating oneself in social situations that involve performance (e.g. speaking in public, eating or drinking or writing in public, or interaction (e.g. dating, being the centre of attention).

For more information, contact the MHIC at:
Tel: (021) 938 9229
Email: mhic@sun.ac.za
http://www.mentalhealthsa.co.za