Everyone is anxious at one time or another. Anxiety becomes a problem when it interferes with life.

• Anxiety is the most common psychological ailment in the U.S. It affects almost 40 million Americans annually, and $42 billion is spent each year on the treatment of anxiety disorders.
• Anxiety can mimic physical problems. Have a doctor rule out underlying physical causes.
• Anxiety is often triggered by major life events, both good and bad.
• PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) doesn’t only happen in war zones. Trauma associated with grief, loss and life-threatening experiences can generate years of anxiety.
• Treatment for anxiety needs to include mind-body therapy methods that can release trauma and anxiety from the nervous system where it has been stored.

Anxiety can manifest in many ways:

in thoughts:

         catastrophic thinking

         obsessive thought patterns

         constant worry

in behaviors:

        nightmares

        overwork

        aggression

        avoidance of anxiety-producing people, places, or things

        self-medicating to relieve tension with alcohol or drugs

in emotions:

        panic                  jumpiness

        nervousness        irritability

        worry                    depression

        fear

        dread

in the physical body:

        muscular tension                        the feeling of being "keyed up"

        unexplained aches and pains        heart palpitations

        dizziness

        difficulty sleeping