Natural anxiety

Morten Birket-Smith, psychiatrist

Anxiety is an emotional reaction which we are all familiar with. You can probably remember the malaise from the last couple of hours and minutes before an exam. Or when you are about to give a speech at a big celebration. Your hands are clammy and shaking. Your heart is beating in your chest. You feel like you need the toilet. You don't think clearly and easily loose your nerve. When at last you reply, your voice is weak and husky.

We know the feeling of anxiety when we are waiting for a reply from the doctor about a test, when we go for a job interview or on a first date or when we are just about to have a traffic accident.

Your physical and mental reaction are roughly the same each time you become anxious no matter what the reason is. It is the same reaction you get when you become scared about a real danger. Lost in thought, you could walk out in front of a car and be close to being run over. Or you could be threatened by a group of drunken men on a dark night.