Your Symptoms
ANXIETY
What is anxiety?
Put very simply anxiety is the feeling that "something bad is about to happen". The body adapts by preparing itself to cope with whatever it is. It does so by making us more aroused and tense. Our heartbeat and breathing become faster.
When may anxiety occur?
Anxiety is always set off by some assumption. The assumption consists of two parts:
- that an event will happen
- that it is a potential threat
Often the assumption passes unnoticed. We call this a Conditioned Thought. Severe forms of anxiety may cause panic.
Is anxiety always bad?
No, anxiety is not always a bad thing. Before important events it is important that we are ready. Anxiety is only "bad" if the assumptions about what can happen and what the consequences might be are wrong or misguided. This can occur if we are making wrong assumptions and not correcting them. Personality traits that tend to lead us to repeatedly make misleading assumptions can also increase the tendency to be anxious. This is particularly so in depression or people with depressive traits.
How anxious are you?
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Other symptoms: Depression | Stress | Panic | Anger
