Anxiety; is a state of worry, distress, uneasiness, or an unpleasant emotional tension. Normally, anxiety is a feeling that everyone can experience. It acts as a signal, warning the person against a possible danger and indicating the need to take precautions.

Fear has a similar function as an emotion. Fear arises in the presence of an event or object that poses a threat, enabling the individual to take measures against the danger.

Although these two emotions are similar, they differ in terms of their causes. In anxiety, the source of fear is not clear. This makes it harder for patients to cope with this feeling, because unlike real fear, there is no concrete reason for which they can take preventive measures.

The bodily sensations of fear and anxiety are quite similar. However, the presence of anxiety eventually leads to behavioral and functional impairments.

Anxiety disorder is among the most common psychiatric disorders in society. The content of anxiety in these disorders is generally characterized by the anticipation of a possible future threat.

Patients often describe this state as: “I feel as if something bad is going to happen.”
The often unknown distress is accompanied by symptoms such as palpitations, blood pressure changes, faintness or fainting, facial pallor or flushing, a sense of breathlessness, feelings of suffocation, gastrointestinal complaints (gas, indigestion, bloating, nausea, etc.), inability to sit still, restlessness, tremors in hands and feet, excessive sweating, throat tightness, difficulty swallowing, chest pressure, muscle twitching, muscle tension and pain.

Symptoms may appear suddenly or become more frequent and intense over time. The individual may often interpret the symptoms realistically, believing them to be signs of some medical illness.

Most patients initially try to cope with these symptoms on their own. However, when they struggle to overcome them or when their social lives begin to be restricted, they may consult other medical specialties, believing the symptoms are signs of an organ-related illness.

When specialists in other medical fields find no underlying physical disease, referral to a psychiatry specialist is the most accurate step to address the problem at its root. According to modern psychiatric knowledge, combining psychotherapy with medication is known to be far more effective in such conditions.

Which Disorders Fall Under the Category of Anxiety Disorders?

• Panic Disorder
• Agoraphobia
• Specific Phobia
• Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder)
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Anxiety Disorder Due to a General Medical Condition
• Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder