Individual with anxiety may have a low threshold to sense danger, or their brain alerts them of dangers that actually don't exist. There are six major forms of anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder; panic disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); social anxiety disorder; obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); and specific phobias.
"Nature has equipped our neurological system with a strong propensity for anxiety, much as it has given us a multiplicity of pain receptors to protect us against physical harm. For good or ill, people with anxiety disorders seem to have greater access to these ancient adaptive mechanisms. This mean that they have more anxiety to help motivate them, keep them out of harm's way, communicate their concerns to others, prepare for stressful events, and focus attention on things that may need immediate attention. On the other hand, too much anxiety seems to dramatically undercut these benefits". [..] "Somewhere along the anxiety continuum there are forms of anxiety that are positive and even useful for the human condition". [...] "A certain amount of anxiety helps us perform well on a test at school, or out in the business world", as we are thinking objectives and plans, and risks and opportunities.
Individuals with anxiety disorders benefit from learning and working environments where they can tap into some of their strengths, such us rituals that can be helpful in some occupations, or follow creative paths which can help them feel less worried or channel their anxieties.
Source: Armstrong, Thomas. Neurodiversity Discovering the Extraordinary Gifts of Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Brain Differences. First Da Capo Press edition. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Lifelong, 2010.
