Anxiety is the body's response to danger - a feeling of fear,
feeling your heart racing, tensing up of muscles, trembling,
sweating or feeling faint. Anxiety attacks may arise from
anything the person perceives as a 'danger' including social
situations, places and germs. These feelings may also arise
without a known catalyst. Everyone has experienced anxiety at
some time in life. However, long-term or heightened anxiety
may prevent a person from leading their lives, for example, being
unable to go out at certain times. There are a range of
anxiety disorders depending on the predominant fear, including
generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic, obsessive-compulsive
disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. The physical and
emotional responses of anxiety can be alleviated and the person can
be helped to address the underlying thoughts.