Anxiety
Anxiety is a psychological state distinguished via somatic, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects. These aspects come together to create the hurtful emotions that we usually recognize as uneasiness, worries, and apprehension. When anxiety becomes severe, it may fall under the classification of an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety happens unconnected to a specific identifiable external stimulus; as such it is described from fear, which occurs in the presence of an identifiable threat. With anxiety the danger appears unavoidable and beyond control, whereas with fear the behaviors of escape or avoidance could sometimes give relief.
Anxiety Symptoms
Anxiety can come together with physical issues such as nausea, chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, stomach aches, or headache. Physically, the body prepares the person to deal with a threat. Heart rate and Blood pressure are increased, sweating is increased, blood flow to the major muscle groups and arteries increased, and immune and digestive system functions are inhibited. External signs of anxiety may include sweating, pale skin, trembling, clammy palms and pupillary dilation. Emotionally, anxiety may be experienced as a sense of dread or panic.
Although panic attacks are not experienced by every anxiety sufferer, they are a common signs. Panic attacks commonly come without a warning, and although the fear is generally irrational, the perception of danger is very real. A person experiencing a panic attack will often feel as if he or she is about to die or pass out. Panic attacks may be confused with heart attacks.
There are several types of Anxiety, below are the most common types: Test anxiety and Social anxiety.
Test anxiety
Test anxiety is the uneasiness, apprehension, or nervousness felt by students who have a fear of failing a test. Students suffering from test anxiety may experience any of the following: the fear of embarrassment by a teacher, association of grades with personal worth, fear of alienation from parents or friends, time pressures, or feeling a loss of control. Emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and physical components can all be present in test anxiety. Sweating, dizziness, headaches, nausea, fidgeting, racing heartbeats, and drumming on a desk are all common. An optimal level of arousal is necessary to best complete a task such as an exam; however, when the anxiety or level of arousal exceeds that optimum, it results in a decline in performance. Because test anxiety hinges on fear of negative evaluation, debate exists as to whether test anxiety is itself a unique anxiety disorder or whether it is a specific type of social phobia. In 2006, approximately 49% of high school students were reportedly experiencing this condition.
While the term "test anxiety" refers specifically to students, many adults have the same experience with regard to their career or profession. The fear of failing a task and being negatively evaluated for it can have a similarly negative effect on the adult.
Stranger and social anxiety
Anxiety when meeting or interacting with unknown people is a common stage of development in young people. For others, it may persist into adulthood and become social anxiety or social phobia.
"Stranger anxiety" in small children is not a phobia. Rather it is a developmentally appropriate fear by toddlers and preschool children of those who do are not parents or family members. In adults, an excessive fear of other people is not a developmentally common stage; it is called social anxiety.