Anxiety and
Alcoholism
Anxiety and alcoholism are embedded and intertwined in many psychological problems, and these interrelationships are sometimes difficult to define. Because anxiety, depression, and alcoholism are closely interrelated, this pamphlet provides an explanation of anxiety and social phobia.
How humans react to stress and their environment dictates survival and success. These reactions enable people to pursue important goals and to respond appropriately to danger. Anxiety is an excessive or inappropriate arousal characterized by feelings of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear. The word is derived from the Latin, angere, which means to choke or strangle. Anxiety can be initiated by a real or appropriate threat but it can paralyze the individual into inaction or withdrawal.
Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric condition in the United States. About 25 million Americans experience anxiety disorders at some time during their lives; the lifetime risk for an anxiety disorder is nearly 25%
Symptoms and
Diagnosis
The physical symptoms of anxiety are usually expressed through a series of responses:
Phobias are overwhelming and irrational fears that can vary in severity. In most cases, the phobic individual can avoid or at least endure phobic situations, but in some cases, as with agoraphobia (fear of open spaces), the anxiety associated with the feared object or situation can make the person unable to move or think.
Indications of social phobia can include extreme shyness and avoidance of social settings. A person with social phobia does not want to be in a social situation were they could be publicly examined, possibly leading to humiliation. Even urinating in a public bathroom can be a humiliating experience for a person with social phobia. The associated symptoms vary in intensity, ranging from mild and tolerable anxiety to a full-blown panic attack. The symptoms of a panic attack include the following: