# Anxiety --- **Anxiety** is a vague, uneasy feeling of discomfort or dread, often without a clear source. It is the most common [[stress]] response in humans. Low levels of anxiety can be [[stress#Types of Stress|helpful]] as a motivation for survival, but high, prolonged levels are unhealthy. Anxiety is distinct from fear, although they are similar in some respects. Fear is an appropriate and present-oriented and short-lived response to a clearly identifiable and specific threat. Anxiety is future-orientated, long-acting response that is broadly focused on a diffuse threat. [[coping mechanism]] / [[cognitive behavioral therapy]] Anxiety is classified in four levels, mile, moderate, severe and panic. - **Mild anxiety** is present in day-to-day living. It can actually motivate learning and growth, though it can also affect sleep and interfere with problem solving skills. - **Moderate anxiety** manifests as "butterflies in the stomach", with an increase in respirations and pulse. This level of anxiety begins to narrow a person's focus onto the immediate concern. - **Severe anxiety** narrows a person's focus even more, with almost all attention being towards gaining relief. This is no longer a beneficial state that functions as a signal for danger, but is a maladaptive response that indicates an emotional disability or anxiety disorder. Signs and symptoms of severe anxiety are: - difficulty communicating verbally - increased motor activity - a fearful facial expression - [[headache]] - [[nausea]] - [[dizziness]] - [[arrhythmia|tachycardia]] - [[respiration rate|hyperventilation]] - **Panic** is a state where someone has lost all control and are unable to think rationally. A person in panic experiences feelings of dread, terror or impending doom. They are unable to concentrate and have a distorted perception of events. Manifestations of panic are: - difficulty communicating verbally - agitation - trembling - poor motor control - sensory changes - sweating - [[arrhythmia|tachycardia]] - [[respiration rate|hyperventilation]] - [[dyspnea]] - [[arrhythmia|palpitations]] - a choking sensation - sensations of chest pain or pressure ## Anxiety Disorders [[generalized anxiety disorder]] [[panic disorder]] ___