It came as a shock to us when a number of popular celebrities proclaimed in public that they suffer from anxiety disorders. One of the most recent and rather shocking examples is Kim Gura, a famous radio host and a comedian who has suffered from panic disorder, which is a type of an anxiety disorder, characterized by recurring panic attacks. It was a shock that he suffered from the panic disorder because he seemed to be all right. This example shows that there could be people who seemed to be fine externally, but they may suffer from anxiety disorders internally.
Anxiety disorders are a group of mental disorders characterized mainly by feelings of anxiety and fear. There are several types of anxiety disorders such as a generalized anxiety disorder, a specific phobia, a panic disorder, an obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc. Research conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare shows that the prevalence rate of the anxiety disorder in South Korea was about 8.7% in year 2011 and the research also shows that the rate is increasing year by year.
If you are suffering from anxiety disorders or if you have any kind of difficulties, you may seek help from the counseling center in Kookmin University. It is located in Welfare Center (Student Union Building) and the room number is 402. The center offers various programs such as individual counseling and group counseling. Furthermore, it provides a variety of both offline and online mental inspections. Its website address is sangdam.kookmin.ac.kr and the phone number is 02-910-4232. If you go to the website, you may also do self check-ups for depression, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, etc.
Another way to cope with anxiety disorders is to take medication. Recent medication is known to have fewer side effects compared to the medication developed in the past. For anxiety disorders, both anti-depressant and anti-anxiety drugs are commonly used. Many anxiety disorders are related with the deficiency of serotonin, so many of the drugs are selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors. It means that the drugs increase the amount of serotonin by blocking the re-uptake of serotonin.
In fact, feeling anxiety is our basic instinct and it helps us to stay away from stress and danger; however, if you are feeling too much anxiety so that it is difficult to do the activities of daily living, then it is a problem that needs to be solved. By seeking help from counseling, you may find the cause of the anxiety and various methods to relieve your anxiety, such as medication and cognitive-behavior therapy. Don't try to hide your anxiety and or be afraid to seek for help when you need it.
 

- The Kookmin Review

Kookmin Review Yeong-Hwi Yoo(Reporter)