Anxiety may be defined as a multisystem response to an imaginary threat or danger.
Its occurrence depends on the biochemical changes in a person, his personal and emotional history, and his behavior in the social environment.
Anxiety in post traumatic often crops up due to the inherent complexities of the human memory.
Researchers have concluded after many experiments that animals can only feel fear but in humans due to their increased levels of imagination and memory, anxiety arises.
It is believed that stress, neurological disorders and also in some cases medications are responsible for stress.
Several researchers opine that anxiety may result in an improved personality.
Anxiety leads to increased alertness and attentiveness in a person.
On the physiological side it is characterized by dilated pupils, increased heartbeat and reduced digestion which leaves scope for more energy to flow to the muscles which may be addressing a fight or flee situation.
Anxiety can also be an indication for under or over thyroidal activity, endocrinal malfunctions and/or chest pains owing to inadequate blood supply to the heart.
Anxiety may also be a consequence of contraceptive pills, thyroidal or asthmatic drugs and in some cases due to local anesthetics.
People who consume large amounts of caffeine rich foods like soft drinks, coffee, etc are highly vulnerable to anxiety.
Abusive drugs like cocaine, opiates, etc also lead to anxiety.
Anxiety, in medical terms is an emergency reaction controlled by a part of the nervous system called autonomous nervous system (ANS).
Normal anxiety is frequently confused with physiological imbalance.
It is essential to make a clear differentiation between normal anxiety and anxiety neurosis (a psychological disorder) and taken care of accordingly.