In addition to encouraging Americans to relax and learn to manage their stress, National Stress Out Week will educate the public about the difference between anxiety and an anxiety disorder.
The ADAA's initiative includes newly released results from its first-ever national web-based survey. The survey shows most American adults suffer from daily stress and anxiety.
In addition, over one-third of those questioned described persistent stress or excessive anxiety in their daily lives and nearly one-third have suffered from an anxiety or panic attack. However, relatively few adults have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or have taken prescription medication to manage stress, nervousness, emotional problems, or lack of sleep.
Affecting over 19 million Americans, anxiety disorders are serious medical conditions that fill people's lives with overwhelming anxiety, worry, and fear. Anxiety disorders is an umbrella term, which includes panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder (or social phobia), and specific phobias (including agoraphobia).
ADAA CEO and President, Jerilyn Ross, says, "ADAA hopes National Stress Out Week will serve as a reminder to people to take a moment for themselves, but more importantly, as an educational message about the millions of people whose uncontrollable and persistent fear, worry and anxiety impairs their daily lives."
"We hope this week will be another way to break down the stigmas surrounding mental health and help get treatment to those who need it," he adds
