Anxiety Disorders affect 16 million people in the United States annually. You are not alone if you are experiencing anxiety related symptoms. Some features of anxiety are:

Restlessness Excessive worry Fears/Phobias E.g. Fear of public speaking, Fear of being out in public alone, Fear of animals. Belief in the worst possible outcome Sleep disturbance: Difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless unsatisfying sleep, Nightmares. Overeating or Under eating Memory loss/ Forgetfulness Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank Denial Fight or Flight reactions: Increased heartbeat, Sweating, muscle tension, fatigue Irritability Panic Attacks Repetitive behaviors (e.g., hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (e.g. counting, repeating words silently) that the person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession, or according to rules that must be applied rigidly. Behaviors or mental acts are aimed at reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors are excessive and instead of alleviating distress they reinforce the cycle of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.

When a person is faced with environmental events and experiences that are overwhelming, anxiety symptoms occur. Occurrence of anxiety can also be attributed to certain beliefs and behaviors that reinforce the cycle of anxiety. Anxiety related symptoms occur on a spectrum from mild anxiety to severe anxiety. An example of mild anxiety is a person who feels insecure and self-conscious in social situations. An example of severe anxiety is when a person refuses to go outside of their home alone, and is afraid of having a panic attack in situations where escape is not possible.
Traumatic events such as witnessing domestic violence, death, rape, and abuse are also likely to induce anxiety related symptoms.