Anxiety is a normal brain response to stress and danger. Anxiety disorders cause constant and overwhelming fear. Symptoms include panic, sweating, shortness of breath, and difficulty concentrating
Phobias are excessive fears that trigger immediate anxiety responses. Approximately 12.5% of U.S. adults will experience specific phobias. Women are more likely to have phobias than men
Phobias affect approximately 9.1% of U.S. adults annually. Women are twice as likely to experience phobias as men. Phobias typically emerge during childhood or adolescence
Mental disorder causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. DSM-5 and ICD-11 are main classification systems for mental disorders. Disorders can be categorized as anxiety, mood, psychotic, personality, or neurodevelopmental
OCD involves persistent unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Common obsessions include contamination fears, symmetry concerns, and religious concerns. Compulsions typically take up at least one hour daily. Symptoms can be mild or severe, with periods of improvement
Mental disorders significantly impair personal functioning or cause distress. DSM contains over 450 distinct definitions of mental disorders. ICD serves as international standard for categorizing medical conditions. Diagnostic criteria are periodically updated to reflect current understanding