Anxiety and physical illness

Abstract

Anxiety disorders are more common than previously recognized. Anxiety commonly accompanies a variety of medical disorders and can complicate the treatment of these conditions, leading to increased morbidity and cost. Primary anxiety disorders may actually mimic a variety of medical conditions, with panic patients in particular often going undiagnosed and untreated. Certain medical conditions may present as anxiety so that the unsuspecting physician may inaccurately misattribute a patient's symptoms to a psychiatric rather than a medical condition.