Anxiety has become a generic term, often used interchangeably with ‘nervous' and thought to be, and used as, an entirely encompassing diagnosis. It's an inaccurate description. Anxiety actually refers to different mental health conditions, each with unique symptoms, and depending upon the condition, unique treatment. In short, the chronic anxious conditions are genuine medical dilemmas.

The most common anxiety form by far is generalized anxiety disorder, the standby diagnosis for an anxious condition. Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by chronic worry, chronic tension, chronic irritability, that doesn't appear to have a specific cause or is more intensive than would seem reasonable. In addition to being common, generalized anxiety is also quite treatment-friendly, with various treatment techniques shown to be effective.

Another anxiety form is panic disorder. Panic disorder is characterized by sudden, unpredictable terror feelings. The unpredictable nature of panic disorder -- symptoms can happen at any time and are generally not attached to a particular event -- can cause those with panic disorder to live in perpetual fear of suffering further panic attacks. Panic disorder is typically treated with forms of counseling therapy and / or psychiatric drugs.

Phobias represents the third form of anxiety. A phobia is a fearful reaction to something that is so profound it affects patterns of behavior. A person with a phobia of some thing may go to exceptional lengths to avoid coming into contact with their fear cause. The baseline treatment for phobias is to train those with a phobia to cope with whatever it is they're afraid of. Anti-anxiety agents and anti-depressants may be used in phobia treatment.

The final, and most severe, anxiety form is post-traumatic stress disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder, known in shorthand as PTSD, is delayed trauma response after an especially stressful experience. PTSD symptoms typically take the form of some degree of persistent, extreme agitation. Psychotherapy is a baseline form of treatment for PTSD. Psychiatric drugs may also be added to treatment.

All anxiety forms that meet a formal diagnosis are characterized by consistency and duration. A one-time or occasional anxiety reaction of some sort would likely not meet the standard for diagnosis, and the need for subsequent treatment. Consistency in symptoms is key.

If help is sought for an anxious condition, it's relevant and important to distinguish one's symptoms. Presenting a medical practitioner with a claim of anxiety is showing a considerable lack of detail. Describing specific anxious symptoms that one is feeling is vital to ensuring successful treatment.