What is anxiety? It is a psychological state in which individuals feel restless, nervous, or apprehensive. Individuals usually have anxious thoughts on things they cannot control or say what can happen next, or on events that seem dangerous or threatening. Here is an example, college students taking a major exam may feel anxious because they cannot predict the exam items or feel sure of a good grade. Individuals often use the words fear and anxiety to describe the same thing. Fear also describes a reaction to immediate danger characterized by a strong desire to escape the situation.

The physical manifestations of anxiety can be seen as a chronic “readiness” to deal with some future threat. These symptoms can include muscle tension, fidgeting, headaches and sleeping problems. Higher levels of anxiety may produce such symptoms as increased pulse rate, increased blood pressure or hypertension, sweating, dizziness and nausea.

Not all individuals are exepted to feelings of anxiety. Most individuals feel anxious when faced with a new situation, such as a first date, or when trying to do something well, such as give a public speech. A mild to moderate amount of anxiety in these situations is normal and even beneficial. Anxiety can motivate individuals to prepare for an upcoming event and can help keep them focused on the task at hand.

But then, an insignificant level of anxiety or a high level of it can cause discomforts. Individuals who do not have any anxious thoughts when under a critical situation may lack alertness and focus. On the other hand, individuals who experience an abnormally high amount of anxiety often feel overwhelmed, immobilized, and unable to accomplish the task at hand. Individuals with too much anxiety often suffer from one of the anxiety disorders, a group of mental illnesses. In fact, more individuals experience anxiety disorders than any other type of mental illness. A study of individuals between ages 16 to 55 in the United States found that around 14 to 19 percent of this age spectrum do have anxiety disorder during any time of the year.