It’s true, symptoms of anxiety affect us all. I’m sure you’ve experienced a time when you were stressed or anxious. Perhaps it was during an important exam or evaluation from you boss. This is the body’s natural way of coping with a threat.

Just to set the record straight. Getting symptoms of anxiety is natural every once and a while and does not mean that it’s related to an anxiety disorder. People who have anxiety disorders, experience anxiety at a much higher level and might experience bouts of anxiety attacks frequently.

A anxiety or panic attack associated with anxiety disorders although much more severe is similar to a normal everyday anxiety. In reality we are all capable of developing anxiety disorders since we all share the same biological vulnerability. This vulnerability is known more commonly as the stress response.

The sensations and symptoms of anxiety that we feel during times of stress might sometimes make a situation worse. But sometimes it can be of benefit. Moreover, anxiety affects us all a little differently. Some may find that it’s a hindrance while other individuals may find that it can actually help.

Imagine that your driving theory test is coming soon. Obviously you want to pass first time so you make sure you study hard. This anxiousness might push you harder to study. You can see how the stress response has helped you in this instance.

Now, imagine tomorrow you have your 3rd driving test. You’re worried and anxious because you don’t want to fail once again. You think about how disappointed you’ll be if you were to fail again. The day of the test you feel jumpy, stressed and close to having an anxiety panic attack. In this case the symptoms of anxiety really have a negative effect on your performance.

The stress response is designed to help us fight off physical threats and real dangers. During this response our eyes dilate, muscles strengthen and adrenaline pumps into the body. Unfortunately your subconscious can not tell the difference between an emotional or physical threat.

Sufferers of anxiety disorders find that their stress response is far more sensitive. In addition, people who suffer from anxiety disorders may have specific triggers for an attack due to negative conditioning.

Take a person who suffers from a phobia. That particular phobia might not seem like a threat to you or I but to the sufferer it’s a real threat. Most of us have some form of negative association with a particular experience or thing. But in the case of a phobia sufferer, symptoms of anxiety are extreme and easily triggered.

What’s important to note is that we can all break free from negative conditioning. By creating new positive beliefs we can recondition the mind to eliminate negative associations. Anyone can learn how to prevent panic symptoms and live happier and healthier.

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