Anxiety is a normal human feeling.
We all experience it when faced with situations we find threatening or difficult. People often call this feeling stress but the word 'stress' can be used to mean two different things - on the one hand, the things that make us anxious and on the other, our reaction to them. When our anxiety is a result of a continuing problem, such as money difficulties, we call it worry , if it is a sudden response to an immediate threat, like looking over a cliff or being confronted with an angry dog, we call it fear . Normally, both fear and anxiety can he helpful, helping us to avoid dangerous situations, making us alert and giving us the motivation to deal with problems. However, if the feelings become too strong or go for too long, they can stop us from doing the things we want to and can make our lives miserable.