Anxiety is a feeling of nervousness, fear of the future or a sense of uneasiness, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). Anxiety is a physiological response of the nervous system, which can lead to physical reactions, such as sweating, restlessness or an increased heart beat, according to the Linden Centre UK, a treatment center for anxiety disorders in the United Kingdom. Anxiety is complex, but it can be broken down into either state or trait anxiety.
Trait Anxiety
Trait anxiety is ingrained in a person's personality, according to the Linden Centre UK, and individuals with this disorder tend to view the world as a dangerous and threatening place. These individuals tend to worry more than most people and feel inappropriately threatened by several things in the environment. For example, in a situation where most people would react in an anxious way, individuals with trait anxiety would react in an overly, almost debilitating, anxious manner, according to the Linden Centre UK. People with trait anxiety do not often feel "normal" and are rarely without some types of anxious feelings.
State Anxiety
State anxiety is characterized as a temporary change in a person's emotional state due to an outside factor, according to the Linden Centre UK. For example, a person may become worried, apprehensive or tense if he sees a large, threatening dog. In this case, the autonomic nervous system becomes heightened. State anxiety is a normal physiological response; the feeling of anxiety eventually subsides, and the person will then feel "normal" again, according to the Linden Centre UK.
Treatment Options
Treatment of anxiety is usually recommended only for those with trait anxiety. This is because individuals with trait anxiety deal with it on a constant and inappropriate basis, unlike those with state anxiety, according to the Linden Centre UK. Treatment may involve individual or group therapy and/or management with psychotropic medications. If trait anxiety remains untreated, an individual may start to develop panic attacks, a mental health diagnosis or negative physical responses, such as high blood pressure, according to the DSM-IV-TR. People need not suffer with trait anxiety for the rest of their lives, as long as suitable and beneficial treatment is provided.
References
- "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision"; American Psychiatric Association; 2000
- The Linden Centre UK: State/Trait Anxiety.
