The simple idea
You're walking alone and hear footsteps behind you. Your heart speeds up, muscles tense, breathing quickens — your body gets ready to run or fight. That's normal anxiety, and it's there to protect you.
A useful pair:
- Fear = "there is danger NOW" (you see a snake).
- Anxiety = "something bad MIGHT happen" ("what if there's a snake in that room?").
Anxiety has three parts
- Thoughts: "something terrible will happen," "I won't cope."
- Body: pounding heart, sweating, trembling, breathlessness.
- Behaviour: avoiding, escaping, seeking reassurance, checking.
When does it become a disorder?
Use the D‑I‑R‑E‑C‑T habit from Concept 2: is it causing real Distress and Impairment, any Risk, is it Excessive, out of Context, and lasting a long Time? Everyday nerves fade; a disorder is excessive, persistent, and hard to switch off.
The family of anxiety patterns
Same alarm, different triggers: generalized anxiety (worry about everything), panic disorder (sudden attacks), social anxiety (fear of being judged), specific phobia (one object/situation), agoraphobia (fear of being trapped). We'll meet several of these next.
| Pattern | What it fears |
|---|---|
| Generalized anxiety | worry about everything |
| Panic disorder | sudden attacks |
| Social anxiety | being judged |
| Specific phobia | one object / situation |
| Agoraphobia | being trapped / no escape |
Quick check ✅
- Fear vs anxiety — one line each.
- Name the three parts of the anxiety response.
Remember this 🌟
Where we're going next → What happens when the alarm suddenly blasts at full volume? Panic (Concept 21).