“Anxiety is a psychological and physiological state characterized by cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components. These components combine to create an unpleasant feeling that is typically associated with uneasiness, fear, or worry. It is a generalized mood condition that occurs without an identifiable triggering stimulus. As such, it is distinguished from fear, which occurs in the presence of an observed threat.” I think the last statement of this definition really drives home what it’s about. Fear is a reaction to something that in proximity, but anxiety is more about the anticipation or avoidance of something in the future. In this way it is a very mental reaction, but it has various emotional and physical reactions including headaches, heavy breathing, rapid heart rate, pale or clammy skin, sweating, shaking, and fatigue.

The body is preparing itself to react to a perceived threat which is why it is getting all of these systems going; however, I feel like its original purpose is far removed from usefulness in most common modern situations. People have anxiety attacks over deadlines or relationships, neither of which are really treatable by the body’s response. The heart wrenching anticipation, the building of an invisible pressure, and the quaking indecision is really what strikes me about anxiety. The body language cues I associate with it are being hunched over and grounded, hugging your legs to your chest, covering your face or mouth, and sweating.

Even though it isn’t the most techincally accomplished picture, the photo I chose illustrates a lot of what I imagine when I think of anxiety. The black and white highlight the pallor, the strain in the knuckles, and her dark perhaps teary eyes.