Anxiety is something that everyone goes through at one time or another. Kids and adults are both susceptible to having routine anxiety. Examples of things that can cause anxiety are: First day of school, bill collector’s calling and moving to a new house.

Beyond normal anxiety there are more serious disorders that some people go through. GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and panic disorders are all examples of more serious anxiety disorders.

Diagnosing an anxiety disorder is not a cut and dry task. Typically, the most important information is the mental records of the patient. The doctor will normally look over the history and then go from there. There is no way to diagnose an anxiety disorder by using a laboratory test.

A psychologist or psychiatrist must perform certain tests in order to determine what is causing it to happen to you. These tests actually rule out what is not causing you to have anxiety in order to pinpoint what your specific problem is.

The type of things they try to rule out are: alcohol/caffeine abuse, prescription medications, poor diet, recreational drugs and whether the work environment is an issue.

Anxiety is caused by a normal response that the body has to either a threat or danger. When confronted with a situation the brain searches for a similar event so that it can decide how to react. If there is no such event in storage then your body must react chemically.

At this point you would enter what is called a fight of flight mode. When a fight or flight mode is entered then you will likely experience symptoms such as sweaty palms or a racing heart. You will then either become aggressive and stand up for yourself or run like the wind.

Keep in mind that the anxiety that I described above is different from experiencing fear. For example, if someone is robbing you and threatening with a knife then you are probably experiencing fear. Fear is a focused reaction to a specific event. Anxiety is the opposite. It is typically unfocused and not related to a single cause.

If you feel that you experience an abnormally high degree of anxiety then you should consult your doctor and see if there is anything they can do for you.

Chances are they will either give you a mild medication or refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist. You might be dealing with an underlying problem that is much more serious. Living in constant anxiety is not worth going through. It can make life almost unbearable.