Anxiety is one of the most uncomfortable emotions. It can be experienced as fear or dread and is often accompanied by rapid heart beat, racing pulse, sweating and shallow, fast breathing. Many people suffering from anxiety go to the emergency room of a hospital convinced that they are having a heart attack. These feelings can be related to specific situations such as public speaking, flying, crossing bridges, exposure to specific animals or even one’s own blood. Or they can come suddenly, out of the blue, without any explanation.

Anxiety can also be more subtle and can be experienced as a form of chronic worry about the future, about decisions that have to be made or about projects that need to be completed. While these worries often seem realistic they can cause fatigue, irritability, depression and difficulty making decisions and make everday life very uncomfortable.

Some people become anxious about their own thoughts or actions and have to perform certain acts or rituals to feel better.

Oddly enough, many people don’t even realize they have an anxiety disorder, they just think that’s the way things are.

Fortunately, people don’t have to live with anxiety as there are many ways to treat it that have been proven to be effective.