“I feel stressed and anxious” — how often do we hear people say this in our everyday lives? And for good reason. There’s no shortage of stressors around.

Perhaps you know what it’s like to have a sleepless night before a big presentation, draw a blank during an exam, or feel your heart racing before meeting someone for the first time.

Like Louise, these are things we’ve all experienced, and are all familiar with.

But sometimes the feeling is so overpowering that you find yourself stuck. All you seem to see ahead of you is a huge, flashing “DANGER” sign. You feel paralyzed. All you want to do is turn back.

This is called anxiety.

It is an excessive, inordinate or repeated fear. Not the fear that protects you from real or likely dangers. No. It’s the kind that causes you to suffer. The kind that has your stomach tied up in knots.

Anxiety has you in its grip. You feel powerless, so overwhlemed that you’re no longer able to function in your daily life.

Understanding it puts you on the right path.