ABSTRACT
Anxiety has been defined in various ways: for instance “a specific unpleasant state of tension which indicates the presence of some danger” (Weiss & English, 1957) or as “the apprehensive tension or uneasiness which stems from the anticipation of imminent danger, in which the source is largely unknown or unrecognised” (Laughlin, 1965). The disordered cognitive and emotional functioning associated with anxiety impacts the functioning of our physiology, especially the endocrine system (Bambling, 2006). Anxiety is described as a constant state of bodily stimulation, which can be short or long-term (Andreassi, 2007) and results in a constant appraisal and perception of threat that affects both cognitive and emotional functioning (Charney, 2004).
