Chamberlain College of Nursing; NR 507 Week 5 Edapt; Anxiety Disorders

NR 507 Edapt Week 5 Anxiety Disorders Introduction to Anxiety Disorders Anxiety is the most common mental disorder in the United States, affecting 19.1% or 40 million adults over the age of 18 (Anxiety & Depression Association of America [ADAA], 2022). Anxiety occurs when the amygdala senses trouble. This “trouble” appears as a real or imagined threat, activating neurotransmitters, flooding the body with stress hormones, and activating the fight-or-flight response. While a state of arousal is normal in the presence of a perceived threat, when symptoms of anxiety persist in the absence of threatening stimuli or become overwhelming to the point of impacting an individual's daily functioning, an anxiety disorder may develop. The