Reflective Writing

Topic: Psychological Disorders (Anxiety)

Define the concept to your readers and identify 1-2 research studies related to it.
Anxiety disorder is an emotion in which a person has feelings of excessive tension,
worried thoughts along with physical symptoms of stress, and fear that is strong enough to
interfere with ones daily activities. There are many types of anxiety disorders such as: posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD), social anxiety, panic
disorder, phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder. Anxiety is not something we can just ignore,
because this disorder have effects on our health emotionally, mentally, and physically. Anxiety
disorder is a common mental illness in the United States. According to the National Institute of
Mental Health (NIMH), about 40 million American adults in the United States age 18 and older,
or 18% of the population have some type of anxiety disorder every year (2014). Another
research shows that women are more likely to get an anxiety disorder compared to men in their
lifetime. There are some type of disorders that affects women such as generalized anxiety
disorder (GAD), social phobia, and panic disorder (women's health.gov,2015.)
Why do you find this concept a valuable addition to your knowledge base?
Anxiety disorder caught my attention because I never thought phobia or OCD is counted
as a disorder. I wasnt aware that anxiety can affect children. I thought everyone has anxiety
and its normal to be nervous, when we speak in front of the class, during the job interview, or
before the exam. However, after reading this chapter I have realized that some people have
excessive anxiety at times which makes anxiety a disorder.
How might an understanding this concept benefit others?
The majority of us dont know that we are suffering from an anxiety disorder. If a person
has learned about anxiety disorder, they can easily notice signs of anxiety in their life and
people around them. If you have learned about it then you can control the symptoms before it

gets worse. There are special treatments that can reduces stress, panic attack, fear and
worries, etc. If a person is left untreated, their health can be at high risk. Getting treated at the
right time will save us from serious consequences.

Work Cited
http://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/effects-on-body#sthash.axJgmVVR.dpuf
http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/anxiety-disorders.html