IS ANXIETY AN EMOTION?

Yes, anxiety is considered an emotion, even though it involves worrisome thoughts. It is characterized by feelings of tension, physical changes, and intrusive thoughts.

IS ANXIETY A MOOD?

No, anxiety is not a mood. A mood is a general sense that comes from your body, and it is often referred to as “affect”. Affect ranges from pleasant to unpleasant and from idle to activated. The brain produces affect all the time, whether you are emotional or not.

WHAT HAPPENS IN YOUR BODY WHEN YOU EXPERIENCE ANXIETY?

When you’re anxious, only the functions that are needed for in-the-moment survival are activated, the others shut down. Memory shuts down, higher order thinking, planning, organizing, and even digestion doesn’t work when people are in a state of anxiety. For example, people who have test anxiety don’t perform well, because they have difficulty retrieving information […]