what is anxiety?

Answer 1

Anxiety is a complex combination of negative emotions that includes fear, apprehension and worry, and is often accompanied by physical sensations such as palpitations, nausea, chest pain and/or shortness of breath.

Anxiety is often described as having cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components (Seligman, Walker & Rosenhan, 2001). The cognitive component entails expectation of a diffuse and uncertain danger. 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. Externally, somatic signs of anxiety may include pale skin, sweating, trembling, and pupillary dilation. Emotionally, anxiety causes a sense of dread or panic and physically causes nausea, and chills. Behaviorally, both voluntary and involuntary behaviors may arise directed at escaping or avoiding the source of anxiety. These behaviors are frequent and often maladaptive, being most extreme in anxiety disorders. However, anxiety is not always pathological or maladaptive: it is a common emotion along with fear, anger, sadness, and happiness, and it has a very important function in relation to survival.

Neural circuitry involving the amygdala and hippocampus is thought to underlie anxiety (Rosen & Schulkin, 1998). When confronted with unpleasant and potentially harmful stimuli such as foul odors or tastes, PET-scans show increased bloodflow in the amygdala (Zald & Pardo, 1997; Zald, Hagen & Pardo, 2002). In these studies, the participants also reported moderate anxiety. This might indicate that anxiety is a protective mechanism designed to prevent the organism from engaging in potentially harmful behaviors such as feeding on rotten food.

A chronically recurring case of anxiety that has a serious effect on a person's life may be clinically diagnosed as an anxiety disorder. The most common are generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Answer 2

Anxiety is a complex combination of negative emotions that includes fear, apprehension and worry, and is often accompanied by physical sensations such as palpitations, nausea, chest pain and/or shortness of breath.

Anxiety is often described as having cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components (Seligman, Walker & Rosenhan, 2001). The cognitive component entails expectation of a diffuse and uncertain danger. 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. Externally, somatic signs of anxiety may include pale skin, sweating, trembling, and pupillary dilation. Emotionally, anxiety causes a sense of dread or panic and physically causes nausea, and chills. Behaviorally, both voluntary and involuntary behaviors may arise directed at escaping or avoiding the source of anxiety. These behaviors are frequent and often maladaptive, being most extreme in anxiety disorders. However, anxiety is not always pathological or maladaptive: it is a common emotion along with fear, anger, sadness, and happiness, and it has a very important function in relation to survival.

Neural circuitry involving the amygdala and hippocampus is thought to underlie anxiety (Rosen & Schulkin, 1998). When confronted with unpleasant and potentially harmful stimuli such as foul odors or tastes, PET-scans show increased bloodflow in the amygdala (Zald & Pardo, 1997; Zald, Hagen & Pardo, 2002). In these studies, the participants also reported moderate anxiety. This might indicate that anxiety is a protective mechanism designed to prevent the organism from engaging in potentially harmful behaviors such as feeding on rotten food.

A chronically recurring case of anxiety that has a serious effect on a person's life may be clinically diagnosed as an anxiety disorder. The most common are generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Answer 3

Me without xanax...not a pretty sight as it is a CNS suppressent, since the 70's. Immediate withdrawl.
Also copy and pasting answers. Going out on the 22nd of any month and having to watch syndication of Gilligans Island.
I woul dgo gfar beyond this to insanity if i EVER watched the Simpsons...thus I am cool for now.

Answer 4

Anxiety is a complex combination of negative emotions that includes fear, apprehension and worry, and is often accompanied by physical sensations such as palpitations, nausea, chest pain and/or shortness of breath.

Answer 5

Its what I'm having right now!!! Because, I have a friend coming over who I hardly know, in which, he will be checking out car problems, for me. I'm also, on medication, for it ....... Anxiety, in "Medical Termonolgy" is....... when one is anxious, and their heart begins, to race, for no apparent reason, or it can also race do to multiple stresses, building-up,,without the person having any way of venting... I use to get them, and had paramedics,at my house, all the time thinking I was having a heart attack. And here I was only in my twenties!!! The medics told me to get a brown bag, and hold it over my mouth, and breathe in it until I relaxed.. But, I'm on meds, for it now,, only because, when you breathe in a brown bag, alls your doing is breathing back, your own toxic, air... And, I never really found it to help me much, anyway. Good-looking paramedics, tho. But, I got tired of wasting their very much, needed time........And, finally opted, to see a doctor, for it...They willl usually prescribe things like, either valume, or diazepam, or lorezepam, any of the pams, some people take prozac, or zoloft for it . There's many things on the market, pharmacy, for Anxiety. I was a "Guinea-pig" to the Medical field, for many years, even missed work over & over, until they put me on the right meds, for it.. And no one can tell me this or that works better for me, anymore.. Even went to the E.R., behind paxil, and buspar..YUKKO!!!!

Answer 6

It is made up of alot of negative emotions and feelings that go along with fear and stress.

Answer 7

Trying to figure out how to answer some of these questions.

Answer 8

a feeling of worry nervousness or unease

Answer 9

the state or condition of being anxious

Answer 10

worry,
care,
concern.