Anxiety, within certain limits, is an emotion considered normal and even adaptive, which is part of the set of physical and emotional reactions to various external stimuli. Anxiety is characterized by feelings of tension, worry, insecurity, usually accompanied by physical changes such as increased blood pressure and heart rate, sweating, dry mouth, tremors and dizziness.

Despite this normative character, when anxiety persists in certain contexts, negatively interferes with the ability to develop daily activities and causes significant physical and / or emotional suffering, we are facing an anxious pathology.

There are different forms of anxiety, each with different symptoms, the main ones being the following:

Specific phobia
Panic disorder
Agoraphobia
Generalized anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders are often accompanied by other psychiatric illnesses, either as a cause or as a consequence. The simultaneous existence of depressive and anxious symptoms in the same patient is very prevalent, as alcohol or anxiolytic abuse is frequent, in order to reduce symptoms.

The treatment of different forms of anxiety, when they have a negative and limiting impact on people's daily lives, is based on medication (psychopharmacology) and psychotherapy, whenever possible combined to optimize the therapeutic response.