Anxiety is an emotion marked by a state of inner turmoil and feelings of dread about anticipated events. Unlike fear, which is a response to an actual threat, anxiety involves the anticipation of a future threat. This emotion is often accompanied by nervous behaviors such as pacing, somatic complaints, and rumination.

Anxiety involves feelings of uneasiness and worry, often generalized and unfocused, reacting to situations that are only subjectively seen as threatening. Symptoms can include muscular tension, restlessness, fatigue, difficulty breathing, tightness in the abdomen, nausea, and trouble concentrating. While anxiety is related to fear, which is a response to an immediate threat, anxiety deals with the expectation of future threats and can lead to avoidance of situations that previously triggered it.

Anxiety can persist beyond appropriate time periods in response to specific events, potentially developing into anxiety disorders like generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder. The key difference between normal anxiety and an anxiety disorder is the frequency and duration of anxiety. People with an anxiety disorder experience anxiety most days over approximately six months, or even shorter periods in children. Anxiety disorders are among the most enduring mental health issues, often lasting for decades.