Anxiety is a state that can effect people's physical and emotional behaviors. Throughout a person's life, there may be stages of anxiety that you go through that are normal, but for some anxiety can become a bigger problem that needs treatment. Understanding anxiety can help you understand basic human behaviors and disorders.

Anxiety is an extreme form of worry and can come from many elements. For example, a person may feel anxiety if she is going on a plane for the first time, speaking in front of a large group or belaboring an important decision. Anxiety is common for people throughout all of their lives, but extreme anxiety can lead to disorders.

Anxiety is typically split into three different categories. The first category is existential anxiety. This version of anxiety occurs in people who feel uncertain about who they are, why they are here and what the purpose of life truly is. With Existential Anxiety, people can feel like their life is meaningless, death is certain to come, and fate will always guide them. Test anxiety is commonly associated with students who have upcoming tests. This anxiety is triggered by worries of passing grades, peer and parent opinions, and views from their teachers. This type of anxiety can also be occur in the workforce in employees who want to perform well for their bosses, families, and selves. Social anxiety is the final category of anxiety and occurs when people have fear and worry over meeting new people. This is usually with adolescents but in some cases people carry it off into adulthood.

Anxiety can cause physical and emotional effects in a person. Obvious physical effects include sweating, uneasiness, heavy or fast breathing, and pacing. People may have chest pain, stomach pain, headaches, and feelings of fear. Some cases of anxiety may even follow with panic attacks that leave a person short of breath and he may even pass out.

Anxiety can be treated naturally, but for bad cases of anxiety, doctors can prescribe medicine. The most common anti-anxiety medicine is Xanax. Xanax works with anxiety, but also helps treats depression that is associated with anxiety. Other anxiety medications include Klonopin, Valium, and Ativan.

Extreme cases of anxiety should be treated by a doctor. Panic attacks could lead to fatal heart attacks and constant anxiety should not be treated lightly. When taking anti-anxiety medication, follow the prescription instructions or harmful side effects may occur. Also, the drugs lower brain activity and operating a motor vehicle is not recommended.