Science Behind: Anxiety

Anxiety is a mood and mental disorder in which people feel a high sense of both stress and overthinking, resulting in the following symptoms: difficulty concentrating, trembling, fatigue, restlessness, sweating, nausea, and clammy hands. There are many different types of anxiety, such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, OCD, phobia, and PTSD. 

In your brain, the decision-making part of your brain finds some kind of perceived threat, in which your amygdala then responds and tells your hypothalamus to go into fight or flight. Basically, they’re all talking. It has been found that individuals with anxiety disorders have more activity in the limbic systems, or the emotional processing part of the brain. 

Anxiety depends on the transportation (or lack thereof) of three chemicals, serotonin, norepinephrine, and GABA. Typically, people with anxiety should avoid caffeine and processed foods and look to behavioral therapy, exercise, and meditation. 

Individuals with anxiety are prescribed a few different medications, such as SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, a type of medication), and SNRIs (Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), and Benzodiazepines (muscle relaxants). 

https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/emotional-health/the-science-of-anxiety