Everyone gets nervous about certain things. For example, teenagers worry about dating a new person or getting good grades in school, while adults dread performance reviews at work or get stressed about about parenting responsibilities. These fears lead to feelings of anxiety as you prepare physically and mentally to handle a stressful situation.
Definition
Fear and anxiety are two very closely related mental states. Anxiety often starts with fear. You feel afraid when you are facing a difficult or unknown situation. This leads your mind and body to prepare for it, which is when anxiety kicks in. Being anxious means you are on high alert, with your mind focused on the fear and your body ready to confront a challenge with physical changes like rapid breathing and an increased heart rate.
Symptoms
Fear is a mental feeling of trepidation. The symptoms expand and become physical when anxiety kicks in. Help Guide, a mental health resource website, explains that the original worry will morph into feelings of dread, tension and irritability. Your heart will pound, you will sweat and breathe rapidly, and your muscles will tense up. You may feel dizzy or short of breath if the anxiety is intense.
Causes
Anxiety is usually triggered by a specific fear. You don't feel it until you are actually facing a challenge. It only lasts while you are dealing with the fearful situation, and then dissipates until the next time you are under stress. Some people have phobias that also cause anxiety even if there is no real threat. For example, you might hate snakes or spiders and feel extremely anxious whenever you see one, even if it is in a glass display case. Some people experience anxiety continually, even when they are in what most people would consider a normal situation. There is no specific fear as a trigger. This typically indicates an anxiety disorder.
Treatment
You do not need treatment for fear and anxiety unless it is bad enough to frequently interfere with your life. Your doctor, a psychiatrist or counselor can screen you for an anxiety disorder and recommend appropriate treatment. The National Institute of Mental Health explains that anxiety disorders are typically treated with cognitive counseling, medication or a combination of the two.
Prevention
Fear and anxiety can be prevented when you know the situations that usually cause stress for you. For example, you can take a parenting class if you are having issues with your children. This will teach you new techniques for handling them and give you confidence. Ask your boss periodically throughout the year how you are performing on the job rather than waiting until review time to find out all at once. Fear is reduced or eliminated when you find ways to take control of potentially stressful situations. Less fear means less anxiety.
