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What is Anxiety?

Understanding Anxiety

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a natural human response to stress, uncertainty, or perceived threat. It is part of the body’s built-in survival system — designed to protect you.

But when anxiety becomes persistent, overwhelming, or difficult to control, it can begin to affect daily life.

This page explains what anxiety is, how it affects the body and mind, when it may need additional support, and why it is far more common — and treatable — than many people realise.

Anxiety disorders affect approximately 301 million people worldwide.3

Anxiety is a normal and adaptive human response to stress, uncertainty, or perceived threat. It is part of the body’s survival system, often called the “fight, flight, or freeze” response. When your brain detects danger, it activates the autonomic nervous system and releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol1. This prepares the body to react quickly. In short bursts, anxiety is protective. However, when this response becomes persistent, excessive, or disproportionate to the situation, it may develop into an anxiety disorder2. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health conditions worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 301 million people globally were living with an anxiety disorder in 20193. In the United States, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that around 19% of adults experience an anxiety disorder in any given year, and nearly 31% will experience one at some point in their lifetime4. Anxiety is common. And it is treatable.

How Anxiety Shows Up in the Body and Mind

Anxiety affects both the body and the mind.

Physical Symptoms

These occur because the sympathetic nervous system has been activated:

  • Increased heart rate (palpitations)
  • Tightness in the chest
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness
  • Sweating
  • Trembling
  • Nausea or gastrointestinal discomfort
  • Muscle tension

Research shows that during acute anxiety, measurable physiological changes occur, including increased heart rate, elevated cortisol levels, and heightened muscle tension1.

Cognitive and emotional symptoms

For some people, symptoms build gradually. For others, they can appear suddenly and intensely.

  • Excessive or persistent worry
  • Racing thoughts
  • Catastrophic thinking
  • Feeling restless or “on edge”
  • Irritability
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Sleep disturbance

What Is a Panic Attack?

A panic attack is defined clinically (DSM-5-TR) as a sudden surge of intense fear or discomfort that peaks within minutes and includes multiple physical and cognitive symptoms2.

Studies suggest that up to 11% of adults experience a panic attack in a given year, even without a diagnosed panic disorder.4

Common features include:

  • Rapid heart rate
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • Dizziness
  • Chills or heat sensations
  • Fear of losing control
  • Fear of dying
  • Feeling detached from oneself (depersonalisation)
  • Feeling detached from surroundings (derealisation)

Although panic attacks can feel life-threatening, they are not dangerous in themselves. They represent a sudden activation of the body’s stress response system1.

Anxiety is not a character flaw. It is a nervous system response pattern.

Why Does Anxiety Happen?

Anxiety is influenced by biological, psychological, and environmental factors.

Research indicates that:

Anxiety disorders tend to run in families, suggesting a genetic component5.

Brain imaging studies show involvement of the amygdala (the brain’s threat detection centre) and prefrontal cortex in anxiety regulation6.

Chronic stress can increase baseline cortisol levels, making the nervous system more reactive over time1.

Hormonal fluctuations, including during adolescence, postpartum, and perimenopause, can increase vulnerability to anxiety symptoms.7

Anxiety can develop after trauma, during prolonged stress, or sometimes without an obvious cause.

 

When Anxiety Needs More Support

According to diagnostic criteria (DSM-5-TR), anxiety may be considered a disorder when it:

  • Is excessive or disproportionate to the situation
  • Persists for an extended period (often six months or more, depending on the type)
  • Causes significant distress
  • Interferes with work, relationships, or daily life
  • Leads to avoidance behaviours2

Understanding anxiety is often the first step toward reducing fear of the symptoms themselves.

You may also find it helpful to explore simple grounding techniques for anxiety and panic that can help calm the nervous system during moments of distress.

The information on this page is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. If you need professional support, please contact a qualified healthcare provider or visit our Crisis Support page. You can also read our Content Disclaimer here.

References

  1. Harvard Health Publishing. Understanding the Stress Response.
  2. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR).
  3. World Health Organization (2023 update). Anxiety Disorders Fact Sheet (2019 global data).
  4. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Anxiety Disorders Statistics.
  5. Bandelow B, et al. (2017). Guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders. World Journal of Biological Psychiatry.
  6. Etkin A & Wager TD (2007). Functional neuroimaging of anxiety. American Journal of Psychiatry.
  7. Albert PR (2015). Why is depression more prevalent in women? Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience. (Hormonal vulnerability overlap research.)
  8. Hofmann SG, et al. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research.
  9. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder in Adults: Management Guidelines.
This page contains evidence-based information informed by guidance from WHO, NIMH, DSM-5-TR and NICE clinical guidelines.

References

  1. Harvard Health Publishing. Understanding the Stress Response.
  2. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR).
  3. World Health Organization (2023 update). Anxiety Disorders Fact Sheet (2019 global data).
  4. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Anxiety Disorders Statistics.
  5. Bandelow B, et al. (2017). Guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders. World Journal of Biological Psychiatry.
  6. Etkin A & Wager TD (2007). Functional neuroimaging of anxiety. American Journal of Psychiatry.
  7. Albert PR (2015). Why is depression more prevalent in women? Journal of Psychiatry & Neuroscience. (Hormonal vulnerability overlap research.)
  8. Hofmann SG, et al. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research.
  9. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder in Adults: Management Guidelines.

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