Mental disorder, two simple words that can stir up a storm of emotions. Usually confused by mainstream society as "deranged" or "unstable", the words mental disorder often tend to be associated with negative cognition. This should not be the case. The misunderstanding that mental disorders automatically equate to a psychotic and erratic state leaves many people feeling isolated and anxious about sharing their helplessness due to fear of social stigma. More public education is needed to eradicate this unfortunate social stigma. So, what is a mental disorder? Although they can range from minor to severe impairments and include a wide variety of conditions, mental disorders can generally be defined as: a mental or behavioral pattern that causes distress or disability and is not normatively normative. development or on a social level (Raskin, 2012). Generally, to diagnose a mental disorder, we use the International Classification of Mental and Behavioral Disorders (ICD), published by the World Health Organization, or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association (Bolton, 2008). This trial will focus on general anxiety disorder (GAD). First, the essay will explain what GAD is and how it is diagnosed. The essay will then explore the differences in GAD between male and female populations in general, then examine brain activity and hormones, and lightly touch on other causes of GAD. Finally, an explanation of gender differences in GAD will be discussed from a biopsychological perspective. The DSM-IV-TR defines general anxiety disorder, also known as chronic anxiety neurosis, in shorter terms, as "chronic......medium." of paper......-anxiety food solution: how the foods you eat can help calm your anxious mind, improve your mood, and stop cravings. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. Spiteri, T., Musatov, S., Ogawa, S., Ribeiro, A., Pfaff, DW and Ögmo, A. (2010). The role of estrogen receptor α in the medial amygdala and ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus in social recognition, anxiety, and aggression. Behavioral Brain Research, 210(2), 211-220. Tromp, DP, Grupe, DW, Oathes, DJ, McFarlin, DR, Hernandez, PJ, Kral, TR, et al. (2012). Reduced structural connectivity of a major frontolimbic pathway in generalized anxiety disorder. NeuroImage, 69(9), 1. Vesga-López, O., Schneier, FR, Wang, S., Heimberg, RG, Liu, S., Hasin, DS, et al. (2008). Gender differences in generalized anxiety disorder. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 69(10), 1606-1616.