Abstract
The ubiquity of anxiety to the human existence is obvious in the poetry, philosophical essays, religious tomes, and clinical/empirical literature of our society. From the standpoint of existential philosophy, anxiety is seen as a natural, multifaceted response to both the freedom and the responsibility associated with making daily choices about how to live one’s life. However, from a traditional mental health perspective, the universally human experience of anxiety can prompt a cascade of responses that signal the presence of a psychological disorder. Specifically, significant distress may emerge as a secondary response to fear and anxiety and impairment in important domains of life functioning can occur as an individual attempts to avoid situations that elicit fear and anxiety.
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Orsillo, S.M., Roemer, L., Holowka, D.W. (2005). Acceptance-Based Behavioral Therapies for Anxiety. In: Orsillo, S.M., Roemer, L. (eds) Acceptance and Mindfulness-Based Approaches to Anxiety. Series in Anxiety and Related Disorders. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-25989-9_1
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