What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a universal and generally adaptive response to a threat, but in certain circumstances it can become maladaptive. Characteristics that distinguish abnormal from adaptive anxiety include

• Anxiety out of proportion to the level of threat

• Persistence or deterioration without intervention (> 3 weeks)

• Symptoms that are unacceptable regardless of the level of threat, including

Recurrent panic attacks

Severe physical symptoms

Abnormal believes such as thoughts of sudden death

• Disruption of usual or desirable functioning

• Anxiety out of proportion to the level of threat

• Persistence or deterioration without intervention (>3 weeks)

• Symptoms that are unacceptable regardless of the level of threat,including

Recurrent panic attacks

Severe physical symptoms

Abnormal beliefs such as thoughts of sudden death

• Disruption of usual or desirable functioning.

Unfortunately, there are few studies of the natural course of anxiety in physically ill patients, so it can be difficult to judge the distinction between normal and abnormal anxiety. In particular, some of the criteria used can be difficult to apply when a patient is experiencing a real threat of disease. A more reliable basis for diagnosing morbid anxiety is often that it causes unacceptable and disruptive problems in its own right.