Anxiety

Anxiety is a normal reaction to a stressful situation that is tied to the Fight or Flight response. Some degree of anxiety is healthy and can be beneficial to keep us safe. In general anxiety is a feeling of worry, stress, fear or apprehension and is accompanied by physical symptoms. Common symptoms may present as feeling dizzy, increased heart rate, sweaty hands, heavy chest, headaches, etc. Although everyone feels anxiety from time to time, anxiety becomes problematic if it starts to affect a person’s daily life and becomes persistent. Some people may have trouble going into crowded places, have excessive worry about something, or have specific fears that impact their functioning. Symptoms can be helped through medication management and psychotherapy. Relaxation strategies are also useful tools that can be taught, and if practiced, may lead to a more manageable day-to-day life.