Illustrated by Martina Fugazzotto
You're probably not sitting around wondering exactly what arachnophobia, social anxiety disorder, or OCD are, but we'll tell you anyway. They happen to be part of the laundry list of anxiety disorders which, according to recent studies, are the most common types of mental illnesses in the U.S., affecting over 40 million Americans (age 18 or older) a year.
What exactly is an anxiety disorder? Affecting the nervous system, anxiety disorders can show up in several ways, causing both physiological (you know, like sweating, shaking, blah blah) and psychological (it's all in your head... or is it?) symptoms.
They can be broken down into lots of categories, including just about any type of phobia imaginable. No matter the type, though, anxiety disorders are no laughing matter. They pose some serious obstacles to living an everyday life, but thankfully they are treatable.
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