Good stress and anxiety come from many places. If you are on the side of the street and a car whizzes by, you are going to feel a rush of anxiety about crossing the street. What that means is you are going to be more careful to look before you step out into the street to cross. While at work, you may be closing in on a deadline but you still have a lot of work to do. This may be because things have gone wrong or you are not getting the help that you need. The stress and anxiety that come with this should help you think of the solutions that you need to get the job done right and on time.

However, for some people, the effects of stress and anxiety work against the body and mind instead of with them. People who experience excessive amounts of anxiety and stress can react much differently and it can impact their lives dramatically. They may see the car whizzing by and have a panic attack thinking about how they could have been hit. They could avoid crossing the street if at all possible or go far out of their way to cross where they think it would be safer, even if it adds thirty minutes to their walk. Those at work with the deadline approaching may freeze and not get their work down, while suffering from deepening amounts of stress and anxiety symptoms.

The reasons why some excel under stress and anxiety and why others crumble are not always clear, but much of it has to do with history and chemical makeup. Some people have connections within the brain that do not work as well as they should, and may be missing chemicals that help with soothing and problem solving within the body. Those that have been through a period of depression or have been through more intense situations in life may be more prone to reacting to stress and anxiety in a negative rather than helpful way.

When stress and anxiety are too much, disorders can occur. These include social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or occasional anxiety problems. There are a few ways these can be treated, and the best treatment ultimately depends on the patient. Therapy is always a great option, as a good therapist can help someone relearn how to deal with stressful situations. There are some great medications on the market both prescription and herbal that may also be effective as long as they are taken under the direction of a qualified medical professional.

The difference between worry and anxiety that is good for problem solving and anxiety that needs treatment is how it affects your day. When your worries get in the way of what you have to do and interferes in your personal and professional relationships, you have a condition that needs treatment. Only then can you go back to living life as you wish it to be. Generalized anxiety disorder does not have to be debilitating, but it often is if it is left untreated.

Generalized anxiety disorder has many symptoms. Some of these are mental and emotional, and others are physical. Together these can make life very uncomfortable and can lead to depression. Some of the more common symptoms are excessive worry, headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, panic attacks, trouble with sleep, muscle pains, irritability, trouble with concentration, feeling restless, and being unable to think about anything else if worried about something, even a small thing.

Though generalized anxiety disorder is something that can happen to just about anyone, there are some people who are more prone to developing this condition. Those that have had traumatic and unhappy childhoods can easily have high levels of anxiety. Those with high amounts of stress in their lives (either personally or professionally) that do not let up can be at risk, as can those with certain personality disorders. Some believe that going through a serious illness (or has someone close to them do so) can develop anxiety disorders, and it may even be that some are genetically prone to it. If someone in your immediate family has anxiety issues, you may as well.

Therapy, medications, and other lifestyle changes can help someone overcome general anxiety disorder. If you have excessive worries that stop you from living life as you wish, you may want to consider that your worries are more than just normal stresses. Some worry about things that others may not think twice about, or only stress about on rare occasion. If you find you are not doing things you normally would do, or have developed fears you never had, you may want to see someone about your anxiety.