What Is Anxiety Really?

[SushiCat]

I know that everyone knows that anxiety is being anxious. But what exactly is being anxious?

Sometimes, when I'm nervous or frustrated, I get these almost panic attack things where is start breathing really fast and only my imagination can calm me down.

Most people would suggest breathing deeply, or getting a stress ball. Normally, I wouldn't just breathe deeply. So breathing deeply while having one of these panic things just makes me more nervous, because I have to face the face that I am not in control.

I hope I have explained this well enough. What I am trying to say is do I have anxiety? And also, do things that work for most people (ie: having a stress ball) not work for everyone? Is anxiety hardly ever the same in everyone?

[Hope_for_the_best]

You have raised some very good questions. You have basically explained what exactly is being anxious. However, I think you need to make a clear distinction between normal anxiety and clinical anxiety (i.e. a disorder). Often, people use the term "anxiety" interchangeably with "anxiety disorder", which I think some clarification is needed. Anyway, your reactions to stress (e.g. nervousness and frustration) are normal. You are doing a great job by calming yourself down using imagination. It is important to note that what works for others may not work for you, so stick to whatever is working for you. Personally, I also find that breathing deeply and using a stress ball don't help much. You are right that everyone experiences anxiety (stress) differently. It appears to me that you know how to get things under control and do not seem to have big problems. However, you would still benefit from seeing a psychologist for more strategies to deal with nervousness and frustration.