Anxiety

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Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components. These components combine to create an unpleasant feeling that is typically associated with uneasiness, fear, or worry.

Anxiety is a generalized mood condition that occurs without an identifiable triggering stimulus. As such, it is distinguished from fear, which occurs in the presence of an observed threat. Additionally, fear is related to the specific behaviors of escape and avoidance, whereas anxiety is the result of threats that are perceived to be uncontrollable or unavoidable.

Another view is that anxiety is "a future-oriented mood state in which one is ready or prepared to attempt to cope with upcoming negative events" suggesting that it is a distinction between future vs. present dangers that divides anxiety and fear.

Anxiety is considered to be a normal reaction to stress. It may help a person to deal with a difficult situation, for example at work or at school, by prompting one to cope with it. When anxiety becomes excessive, it may fall under the classification of an anxiety disorder.

For more information about Anxiety, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.


News tagged with anxiety

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A child sleeping (Sleep)

Dreams may have an important physiological function

Medicine & Health / Neuroscience

created Nov 12, 2009 | popularity 3.9 / 5 (27) | comments 12

(PhysOrg.com) -- Dreams have long been assumed to have psychological functions such as consolidating emotional memories and processing experiences or problems, but according to a Harvard psychiatrist and sleep ...


Depression as deadly as smoking, but anxiety may be good for you

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

created Nov 17, 2009 | popularity 3.6 / 5 (5) | comments 0

A study by researchers at the University of Bergen, Norway, and the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) at King's College London has found that depression is as much of a risk factor for mortality as smoking.


Study sheds light on brain's fear processing center

Medicine & Health / Research

created Nov 25, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 1

Breathing carbon dioxide can trigger panic attacks, but the biological reason for this effect has not been understood. A new study by University of Iowa researchers shows that carbon dioxide increases brain acidity, which ...


Forget all about it: Traumatic memories can be erased

Medicine & Health / Research

created Nov 09, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

It is well known that fear memories are permanent. However, a recent paper in Science, evaluated by three Faculty Members for F1000, reports an extraordinary finding that supports the use of a drug to control recollections of tra ...


Fear of anxiety linked to depression in above-average worriers

Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry

created 8 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Anxiety sensitivity, or the fear of feeling anxious, may put people who are already above-average worriers at risk for depression, according to Penn State researchers. Understanding how sensitivity to anxiety is a risk factor ...


Women with asthma feel worse

Medicine & Health / Diseases

created Nov 09, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Women with asthma are more anxious, find it harder to sleep and are more tired during the day than their male counterparts, but nevertheless tend to be better at following their treatment, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska ...