Anxiety disorders

A manageable level of anxiety is a normal part of life for most people. For some, however, anxiety that causes severe distress and even physiological symptoms can effect their quality of life and ability to function. Anxiety Disorders are amongst the most commonly reported mental health problems in the UK.
Anxiety, worry and fear are feelings that everyone experiences from time to time. Over short periods of time they can be useful emotions, helping us to respond to challenging or dangerous situations. However, some people experience anxiety, worry, fear and panic at a greater level than is normal considering the threats around them. They may feel excessively anxious in certain situations, such as when they are with other people, or generally anxious a great deal of the time. 
Country lane
Some people find that fear and anxiety are set off by particular things (phobias), for example by spiders, by heights or groups of people, whilst others cannot pinpoint any particular trigger (anxiety).

When fear and anxiety are excessive they can be a significant problem and can have profound consequences on quality of life. Anxiety disorders are the most common form of psychiatric illness.

National Advice Service Factsheets

The information in this section is taken from the NAS factsheet, which you can download in pdf format and print for individual use (external link to Mental Health Shop):

Anxiety disorders factsheet