Short answers, pulled from the story.
Anxiety disorders are a group of mental disorders characterized by significant and uncontrollable feelings of anxiety and fear. These feelings impair social, occupational, and personal functions to a degree that daily life becomes difficult.
Generalized anxiety disorder affects older adults more than any other age group. It involves long-lasting anxiety that is not focused on any one object or situation.
The diagnosis of anxiety disorders relies on symptoms, triggers, and personal family histories rather than objective biomarkers. No laboratory test can definitively diagnose anxiety so medical professionals must evaluate patients to rule out underlying medical causes like thyroid disease or heart conditions.
First-line choices for medications include SSRIs or SNRIs to treat generalized anxiety disorder or social anxiety disorder. Benzodiazepines serve as a second line option for pharmacologic treatment of anxiety but carry risks of physical dependence and cognitive impairment.
Globally as of 2010 approximately 273 million people had an anxiety disorder representing 4.5% of the population. It is more common in females at 5.2% than males at 2.8%.