Anxiety is a common problem, and it is quite probable that the majority of people seeking help from their physician or doctor, are suffering from a psychological, or mental health problem that causes them unhappiness and some type of anxiety symptoms.
Fears, worries and anxiety are central to our survival as they prepare us to cope with danger or stress by triggering the release of adrenaline, which develops the physical and mental changes in the body to prepare us to either take on a challenge, or run from a dangerous situation.
This worked well for our ancestors, but the stresses we experience today are more subtle than those of our predecessors, yet still we have the same changes in our body, mind and behavior.
Physical anxiety symptoms can include tightness in the chest, dry mouth, and tremors, sweating, needing to pass urine, palpitations or finding it hard to catch your breath.
Sometimes there seems to be an apparent reason for the insomnia, panic and over anxiety, such as the stress of bringing up a family, social anxiety, widowhood or exams, but in other cases generalized anxiety disorder is diagnosed, as there is no apparent reason for the anxiety attack symptoms.
A social anxiety disorder or social phobia is different from the explicit phobias in that you fear a range of situations where you might be on show, and open to evaluation, such as public speaking.
Separation anxiety is often typified by recurring distress when separated from mother, father or home, and the individual may even experience an anxiety attack worrying that an event in the future may lead to a separation from this person or object.
It is not always easy to distinguish anxiety disorders known as neurosis, from psychosis, as found in serious mental health illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar.
Sometimes doctors are inclined to just write a prescription for anxiety drugs - an anti-depressant, sleeping pill, or minor tranquillizer, but drugs are only a chemical fix, and although they can be helpful for anxiety attacks, or to tide you over as you go through a difficult period, you may experience anxiety medication side effects, and the problem can recur when you stop taking the drug.
Anxiety treatment does not have to involve anxiety drugs as therapy such as counseling, hypnotherapy or psychoanalysis can help find the underlying cause.
One of the most popular and effectual methods for treating anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), as this therapy is about changing the thoughts you have about yourself, and it has demonstrated that it works well in numerous well-controlled studies.
If you are interested in anxiety self-help then you can consider learning relaxation techniques, reading more on the subject, or visiting some of the many websites offering support and information.
You may also be interested in anxiety chat rooms or forums where you can register, and then post messages, ask a question, or talk to other people suffering from anxiety.
There are also numerous self-help programs that can help in certain areas of your problem, for example if you have OCD or GAD, you may be able to use self-help in the form of relaxation to help you sleep better and receive benefit from this, but still continue with other forms of anxiety therapy as well.
Whatever part of the world you live in there are anxiety support organizations, or institutions available to help you and you should be able to get a contact telephone number from your physician, or a library nearby.