Anxiety Disorders Terminology

noun an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat

verb to be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening

• The fear of failure can often hinder one's ability to take risks.
• I have a fear of spiders, so I always ask someone else to remove them from the house.
• I was so scared, I was shaking like a leaf!
• The fear of the unknown can paralyze us from moving forward in life.

noun a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from anxiety or stress

• The presentation was met with a sense of nervous tension as the audience waited for the speaker to begin.
• I could feel the nervous tension in the room before the big announcement was made.
• There was so much nervous tension in the air, you could cut it with a knife.
• The nervous tension between the two rival teams was palpable on the field.

noun a state of being nervous or anxious

• The speaker's nervousness was evident as he stumbled over his words during the presentation.
• I could feel her nervousness before the big job interview.
• Don't let your nervousness get the best of you before the performance.
• The dark clouds in the sky seemed to mirror my nervousness before the storm hit.

noun a mental disorder characterized by anxiety, compulsions, obsessions, phobias, or other symptoms

• Psychoneurosis is a term used in psychology to describe a class of functional mental disorders involving distress but not delusions or hallucinations.
• Psychoneurosis is when your mind is constantly in a state of distress and anxiety.
• Psychoneurosis is like having a mental meltdown.
• Her psychoneurosis was like a dark cloud hanging over her thoughts.

noun a state of being excessively or overly anxious

• Her overanxiousness about the upcoming exam was evident in her constant studying and fretting.
• I can tell by your overanxiousness that you really care about how the presentation goes.
• Chill out, your overanxiousness is making everyone else stressed.
• His overanxiousness was like a heavy weight on his shoulders, causing him to second-guess every decision.

noun a mental disorder characterized by indecisiveness and an inability to take action

• Aboulomania is a psychiatric condition characterized by indecisiveness and an inability to make even simple decisions.
• My friend's aboulomania often leads to frustration among our group when trying to make plans.
• I can't stand his aboulomania, it's like he can never make up his mind about anything!
• Her aboulomania was like being stuck in a maze with no clear path forward.