ABSTRACT
Anxiety is commonplace in human life. It is the mental and physical response to perceived threats, Stressors and dreads ranging from physical dangers to workplace problems, worries about loved ones, financial problems and many others. More than one Stressor is often present, and a family history of anxiety predisposes the individual to an anxiety disorder, as does learned behaviour, such as growing up in a tense and nervous environment. Inevitably, modern industrialized society has largely lost these social supporting practices, and people whose inbuilt coping mechanisms are inadequate, or whose Stressors are too great, often turn for help to doctors and nurses in primary care. The individual's response to stress is dependent on their personality, physiology and life experience. Humankind has inherited the primitive 'fight or flight' response to anxiety - the mammalian physiological response necessary for survival in nature. Close-knit agrarian communities, tribes and clans have in the past given the individual invaluable support in managing their anxiety.
