Anxiety is a complex combination of negative emotions that includes fear, apprehension and worry, and is often accompanied by physical sensations such as palpitations, nausea, chest pain and/or shortness of breath.

Anxiety is often described as having cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components (Seligman, Walker & Rosenhan, 2001). The cognitive component entails expectation of a diffuse and uncertain danger. Somatically the body prepares the organism to deal with threat (known as an emergency reaction); blood pressure and heart rate are increased, sweating is increased, bloodflow to the major muscle groups is increased, and immune and digestive system functions are inhibited. Externally, somatic signs of anxiety may include pale skin, sweating, trembling, and pupillary dilation. Emotionally, anxiety causes a sense of dread or panic and physically causes nausea, and chills. Behaviorally, both voluntary and involuntary behaviors may arise directed at escaping or avoiding the source of anxiety. These behaviors are frequent and often maladaptive, being most extreme in anxiety disorders. However, anxiety is not always pathological or maladaptive: it is a common emotion along with fear, anger, sadness, and happiness, and it has a very important function in relation to survival.

Neural circuitry involving the amygdala and hippocampus is thought to underlie anxiety (Rosen & Schulkin, 1998). When confronted with unpleasant and potentially harmful stimuli such as foul odors or tastes, PET-scans show increased bloodflow in the amygdala (Zald & Pardo, 1997; Zald, Hagen & Pardo, 2002). In these studies, the participants also reported moderate anxiety. This might indicate that anxiety is a protective mechanism designed to prevent the organism from engaging in potentially harmful behaviors such as feeding on rotten food.

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I liked a @YouTube video http://t.co/kKffksyR Child Anxiety Symptoms
blessoul (Tran Lam Xuan) Sun, 20 May 2012 12:44:53 -0000
I liked a @YouTube video http://t.co/kKffksyR Child Anxiety Symptoms
RT @gop2012news: Real Clear Politics: Our Age of Economic Anxiety http://t.co/n3CsnyeG #Gop2012 #TeaParty #Tcot #Tlot #Gop #defeatObama
GOPPrimary (GOP Primary) Sun, 20 May 2012 12:44:52 -0000
RT @gop2012news: Real Clear Politics: Our Age of Economic Anxiety http://t.co/n3CsnyeG #Gop2012 #TeaParty #Tcot #Tlot #Gop #defeatObama
RT @Conspiracy_Co: There is a deception,called modern humanity. The rise in depression, anxiety, hostility and cancer is no mistake its the crying soul of man.
IanAlexBlease (Ian Alex Blease) Sun, 20 May 2012 12:44:34 -0000
RT @Conspiracy_Co: There is a deception,called modern humanity. The rise in depression, anxiety, hostility and cancer is no mistake its the crying soul of man.
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HolisticHyp (Tanya Caffrey) Sun, 20 May 2012 12:44:20 -0000
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RT @Conspiracy_Co: There is a deception,called modern humanity. The rise in depression, anxiety, hostility and cancer is no mistake its the crying soul of man.
amunhay (aslan anandolu) Sun, 20 May 2012 12:44:20 -0000
RT @Conspiracy_Co: There is a deception,called modern humanity. The rise in depression, anxiety, hostility and cancer is no mistake its the crying soul of man.
Day 2- Time trials = anxiety attack here I come.
MayYee_ (MaryAnneChiu) Sun, 20 May 2012 12:44:13 -0000
Day 2- Time trials = anxiety attack here I come.

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