Anxiety disorders are a group of mental health conditions characterized by excessive, persistent fear or worry that is difficult to control and significantly impacts functioning. They are not a character flaw, a sign of weakness, or something you can simply think your way out of. They are medical conditions with identifiable patterns, neurobiological underpinnings, and evidence-based treatments.

Health anxiety is a general term for excessive worry about your health. When severe, it may be diagnosed as illness anxiety disorder (fear of serious illness with little or no symptoms) or somatic symptom disorder (real physical symptoms with excessive worry about them).

Depression after a heart attack is linked to a 2–4 times higher risk of future cardiac events and mortality. The good news is that early recognition and treatment can significantly improve outcomes.

Learn about health anxiety