Putting Statistics to Fear

It is easy to use words like ‘some’ or ‘many’ to describe those who have fear and express their phobia in a visible way. We want to share very specific statistics related to phobias and provide a few thoughts on the prevalence of phobias in society.  We’ll look at issues related to anxiety and obsessive/compulsive disorder (OCD) as well.

If you suffer from anxiety and fears it can become easy to believe you are the only one. It is common for phobic individuals to believe no one really understands. I think these statistics may provide hope in knowing you are not alone.

The following statistics are provided by the National Institute on Health.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias (social phobia, agoraphobia, and specific phobia).

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• Approximately 40 million American adults ages 18 and older, or about 18.1 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have an anxiety disorder.
• Anxiety disorders frequently co-occur with depressive disorders or substance abuse.
• Most people with one anxiety disorder also have another anxiety disorder. Nearly three-quarters of those with an anxiety disorder will have their first episode by age 21.

Panic Disorder

Approximately 6 million American adults ages 18 and older, or about 2.7 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have panic disorder.

• Panic disorder typically develops in early adulthood (median age of onset is 24), but the age of onset extends throughout adulthood.
• About one in three people with panic disorder develops agoraphobia, a condition in which the individual becomes afraid of being in any place or situation where escape might be difficult or help unavailable in the event of a panic attack.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Approximately 2.2 million American adults age 18 and older, or about 1.0 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have OCD.

• The first symptoms of OCD often begin during childhood or adolescence, however, the median age of onset is 19.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Approximately 7.7 million American adults age 18 and older, or about 3.5 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have PTSD.

• PTSD can develop at any age, including childhood, but research shows that the median age of onset is 23 years.
• About 19 percent of Vietnam veterans experienced PTSD at some point after the war.13 The disorder also frequently occurs after violent personal assaults such as rape, mugging, or domestic violence; terrorism; natural or human-caused disasters; and accidents.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Approximately 6.8 million American adults, or about 3.1 percent of people age 18 and over, have GAD in a given year.

• GAD can begin across the life cycle, though the median age of onset is 31 years old.

Social Phobia

Approximately 15 million American adults age 18 and over, or about 6.8 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have social phobia.

• Social phobia begins in childhood or adolescence, typically around 13 years of age.

Specific Phobias

Specific phobia involves marked and persistent fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation.

• Approximately 19.2 million American adults age 18 and over, or about 8.7 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have some type of specific phobia.
• Specific phobia typically begins in childhood; the median age of onset is seven years.

Thoughts

As you can see there are a significant number of people who live with fear-based anxiety. This means there are many people who find it difficult to stop their obsessions, live with their compulsions and relate to others without fear. Our hope is the Fear of Stuff site brings a greater understanding to the fear and encourages people to seek help in managing their fear.