What is generalized anxiety disorder
December 22, 2007 9:12 am HealthGeneralized anxiety disorder afflicts about 4 percent of the population, the 10 million people who are paralyzed by irrational fears. Unlike people who are socially phobic, they don’t fear human contact; they fret constantly about everything.Similarly, anywhere from 3 percent to 13 percent of the population is crippled by social phobia, or social anxiety disorder, in which people are filled with intense dread and avoid everyday social situations.Social phobics fear public humiliation or being judged by others, and may turn down a promotion, quit their jobs, or avoid leaving the house rather than deal with people.But the line between generalized anxiety disorder and normal fears is not as clear as it may seem. Almost half of all Americans - 40 percent to 45 percent, according to recent polls - consider themselves shy, which is not a psychological disorder. Here again, it’s tricky determining when shyness is debilitating enough to require pharmaceutical interventions.