Anxiety Basics - What is Anxiety

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. Most commonly, these symptoms are related to the heart, lungs, and nervous system. You may feel as if you are having a heart attack. Most people experience anxiety at some point in their lives and some nervousness in anticipation of a real situation. Anxiety can be accompanied by a variety of physical symptoms. Somatically the body prepares the organism to deal with threat (known as an emergency reaction): blood pressure and heart rate are increased, sweating is increased, bloodflow to the major muscle groups is increased, and immune and digestive system functions are inhibited The term for persistent anxiety that affects your day-to-day life is "anxiety disorder." Along with phobias, panic attacks and obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder is among the most common anxiety disorders. Women are more likely than men are to experience generalized anxiety disorder. Fortunately, anxiety disorders are highly treatable. Experts estimate that up to 90 percent of people who suffer from anxiety disorders can be helped through medication, behavior modification, or psychotherapy.