Anxiety can arise from stressful conditions during work, at home, going to a social occasion or other situations. The anxious feelings may bring on nervousness, worry or fear. Anxiety becomes a natural reaction to stress and may help overcome dreaded circumstances. However, when anxious feelings occur frequently for no apparent reason, it may indicate an anxiety disorder. Mild anxiety may cause uncomfortable feelings at times, but severe anxiety can disrupt a person’s life.
Characteristics
People may suffer from an increased heart rate just before speaking to an audience. Thinking about taking a test may cause worry and even nausea for some people. People may even shake, sweat or become irritable before or during a stressful event. For many people, these are brief disturbances that pass. Some people try to deal with their anxious reactions by attending stress management programs or doing relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises or yoga to calm their feelings.
Effects
Anxiety can also cause unrealistic worrying for some people. The anxiety becomes so overwhelming it results in physical symptoms, Medical News Today points out. The symptoms may include trembling, headache, backache, heart palpitations, numbness or being easily startled. Individuals' reactions may lead to restlessness, fatigue, trouble concentrating, muscle tension or sleeping disorders. Constant or severe anxiety is usually described as generalized anxiety disorder. People with this disorder may have concerns involving work, family or financial situations, but the concerns are usually overblown. Their ongoing worries become excessive when there is little to provoke their anxiety.
Panic
Other anxiety disorders bring on a variety of symptoms. Panic attacks may result from a feeling that something terrible is about to happen, even though there is no actual threat. Fears of impending doom or losing control come over the person, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Physical symptoms that often accompany these fears include pounding heart, weakness, dizziness or tingling sensations. People with post-traumatic stress disorder may have experienced terrifying events in the past and may relive the traumatic episodes. They may avoid situations or places that remind them of the past event. Social phobias may cause people to feel self-conscious whenever they are in public or with people. Some people have phobias that center on closed-in places, tunnels, flying or other situations they try to avoid.
Source
Anxiety may result from something beyond a person’s control, but some people may become overly anxious through negative thinking that makes them believe only the worst can happen. Stress or trauma, medical illness or symptoms of illness, and substance abuse can cause stress. Some anxiety disorders are associated with alcohol or drug dependence, Medical News Today explains. Substance abuse may trigger the anxiety, or anxious feelings may lead to substance abuse.
Theories/Speculation
A genetic link to stress may exist because many people with anxiety problems have a family history of anxiety, according to Medical News Today. People who have relatives with anxiety disorders may have an increased risk of suffering from similar disorders. Research suggests that parts of the brain that process sensory signals involved with fear may play a role in anxiety disorders, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
