Do you thin anxiety disorders are all in your head.?

I have a friend who is hooked in xanax. I mean she is always complaining to me about how she is so depressed and can't even function. I mean I had depression too, but not that bad. I mean half of my family and friends seems like they are hooked on pills! Do you think it is all in thier head

Yes

of course it's all in their heads :-)..haha
but sometimes they can't help it. Depresssion and anxiety can both be caused by chemical imbalances and lower amounts of Seratonin which people naturally produce anyways. Some people produce less Serotonin , and these are usually teh people with more depression. There are many antidepressants that are not addicting or dangerous such as zoloft. Xanax is NOT meant to be taken long term. It shoudl only be used in severe anxiety for a short amount of time (2 months at longest).
Some people start on meds at the slightest sign of depression, but probably not even half the people on meds even really need it. It's part of human nature to get depressed sometimes. It's only when a person is depressed for an extended period of time without ceasing that they need meds.

Yes, they are only temporary. Depression is not like a disease. You can change your mood whenever you realize that you can. Taking pills is for weak minds. There is no such thing as a chemical imbalance. Taking pills is what eventually causes the chemical imbalance by unnaturally blocking the reuptake function in the brain. Serotonin can be increased with excercise and proper diet.

I asked a doctor friend about that when I was younger. Some people have major chemical imbalances that can cause problems like that. Also some people are better at handling internal things better then others. It's try it can be in their head but it's also true that they can have a serious problem as well.

I have several disorders but I take no medicine for them. I prefer to identify the prolems and find ways for me to overcome them myself. Maybe I have good methods as i work hard at them or maybe i'm not so bad off as other people or a lil of both.

well, yea, its a mental disorder of sorts....
but if you mean they are just kind of making it up...
if you are hooked on a drug and are abusing it, then that alone is like a development of a whole other problem...
a lot of people use xanax for a "high" because it makes them feel carefree
the proper use is usually to help people who have problems functioning properly in everyday activities
not to make them high

xanax addiction can be scarry you can easily overdose on it and die

I think for some it is in their head, and others it is a chemical imbalance (or whatever scientific explanation there is).

I suffer from anxiety attacks. I do not seek treatment for them though as I do not want to be put on drugs. I fear their dependency. I cannot find any outside source for my anxiety attacks though; nothing I dwell on, am depressed/anxious about etc etc. I just assume it is in my (genetic?) makeup and something I'll deal with forever.

no their are pilsl designed to help but when you abuse anythign then it wont' help. its not in your head that you have problems and see a doctor if yours arent' right then go back and tell him but i will tell you someties you think they are nt doing good but stop taking them a few weeks and you'll find out theya re doing good for you if you are hooked that is sad but xanax is a pill that you hve to be careful with take care.

No, not totally. Xanax is VERY addicting. But you have physical symptoms of anxiety when you try to stop taking Xanax, like fast heart-beat, and that makes you feel more anxious. So even tho' it may have started out to be "all in your head", guess what - now you're a drug addict too! Welcome to your reality!!

NO. Some of it is genetic, or nutritionally caused. But most of it is in your head. And the best way to treat it is to change your thinking. See this book, for example:
http://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Good-Handb...
Or, this essay:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_t...

Yes, it's a mental disease.
So, it's all in her head....
But, anorexia is influenced by the environment that the person is in. But it's still mental.

I think some people feel helpless with these disorders. They feel like because they take medications, they are powerless without them. They don't realize half the battle needs to come from them, not just the meds.

Of course it's in their head along with their brain. Anxiety is considered fear out of proportion to real danger so it is abnormal. It can be genetic or just a habit.