- With Mayo Clinic psychiatrist
Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
Dr. Daniel Hall-Flavin, board certified in general psychiatry and addiction psychiatry, is a St. Louis native looking to the Internet as a way to help people improve their health and be more active participants in their own health care by learning from Mayo Clinic's experts.
Dr. Hall-Flavin has been a member of the faculties of Cornell University Medical College, New York Medical College, and The George Washington University Medical School before joining the Mayo Clinic staff in 1996. He has special interests in adult psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and psychogenomics. He has served as medical director of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence from 1986 to 1999.
"With the advent of the genomics and proteomics revolution and the pace of advances in medicine, informed collaborative relationships between knowledgeable, capable health professionals and informed, proactive individuals and their families are more vital than ever," he said.
"I'm optimistic that our Internet health education activities will contribute to ever-improving health outcomes for all who participate and apply what is learned."
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Question
Anxiety: When is it a problem?
What's the difference between normal worrying and an anxiety disorder?
Answer
from Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D.
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It helps you cope with tense situations. It also helps you focus on the task at hand and motivates you. Almost everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. Typically, anxiety goes away when the triggering event is resolved.
However, anxiety is a problem when it becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, such as riding an elevator or leaving your house. People with anxiety disorder experience fear and worry that are out of proportion to the situation. These feelings are difficult to control and are more intense and last longer than normal feelings of anxiety. For instance, while it's normal to feel anxiety before public speaking, a person with anxiety disorder may consistently worry about speaking with small groups of people in everyday situations.
Both normal worry and anxiety may be associated with the following symptoms. However, a person with anxiety disorder will experience these symptoms more frequently and intensely:
- Restlessness
- Fatigue
- Irritability and crankiness
- Muscle tension
- Headaches
- Sleep difficulties (unable to fall or stay asleep)
- Feelings of panic, such as sweating and shortness of breath
If you find it difficult to control your worry or stress or if anxiety interferes with your daily activities, consult your doctor or a mental health professional. If you are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, effective treatment is available.
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