Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index Anxiety is a fear that constitutes a mental blocking, e.g. high anxiety. A chronically recurring case of anxiety that has a serious affect on your life may be clinically diagnosed as an anxiety disorder. The most common are Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic disorder, phobias, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Anxiety is often treated with anti-anxiety medications such as barbiturates, benzodiazepines, or SSRIss (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). Behavioral and cognitive - behavioral therapy are the most popular and most effective forms of psychotherapy used to treat anxiety. Exercise and other physical activities are thought to relieve stress and anxiety as well. See also: angst Anxiety attacks can also be understood as resulting from an underlying metabolic disorder, due to insulin resistance (hypoglycemia). Insulin resistance causes unstable blood sugar levels reaching the brain. This triggers the release of stress hormones, such adrenaline and cortisol, which are seen as being responsible for the various forms of anxiety attacks, phobias, and even depression. The non-drug treatment is going on a 'Hypoglycemic Diet', which will stabilize blood sugar, insulin, adrenaline and cortisol levels. See: "Beating Anxiety" at: http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/beating_anxiety.html This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.