We've all had good reason to feel anxious over the past two years.

But sometimes anxiety is more than a normal response to stress.

Anxiety disorders are among the most common of all mental health disorders,

affecting an estimated 15% to 20% of all people at some point in their life.

In recent years, scientists have begun to learn more about the underlying causes of these disorders,

which include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and phobias such as fear of needles or flying.

They've also learned more about how to treat anxiety effectively.

So what ties different anxiety disorders together?

Where do they come from?

What's the difference between feeling anxious and that anxiety disorder?

How do you know if it's time to seek help?

And what effective treatments do we have for anxiety?

Welcome to Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association that examines the links between psychological science and everyday life.

I'm Kim Mills.

Our guest today is Dr. Bunmi Olatunji, director of the Emotion and Anxiety Research Lab at Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Olatunji studies the role of emotions, particularly discussed, in driving anxiety symptoms and disorders.

He is also interested in using the knowledge gained from basic research to develop effective treatments

for anxiety disorders.

In addition to his research, Dr. Olatunji serves as Director of Clinical Training in the Clinical

Science Program in Psychological Sciences at Vanderbilt and as Associate Dean of Academic

Affairs in the Graduate School.

Thank you for joining us today, Dr. Olatunji.

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