Anxiety is being afraid. The more fearful you are, the more likely it is that you'll develop anxiety as a disorder.

Anxiety disorders occur because we either have more fears than others or we experience fear at higher degrees than others, or both.

Those who develop anxiety disorders do so because they have become afraid of one or many things. For example, in November 2008, we asked you to send us your fears. We extend a special thanks to all of those who took the time to respond to this request.

Here are more examples of the fears submitted:

• Fear that symptoms will not abate
• Fear of financial collapse
• Fear of long-term pain and suffering
• Fear for loved ones' health
• Fear for loved ones' safety
• Fear of relationship problems
• Fear of confrontation
• Fear of having negative emotions directed toward you
• Fear of being made fun of
• Fear of strong emotions
• Fear that you may get stuck in strong emotions
• Fear of being out of control
• Fear of contracting a mental illness
• Fear of having uncontrollable unwanted thoughts
• Fear that others may ridicule you because of your anxiety
• Fear of contracting a rare medical condition
• Fear of having a heart attack
• Fear of flying
• Fear of being trapped with no options
• Fear of fainting and no one around to help
• Fear of being lost
• Fear of heights
• Fear of large dogs
• Fear of spiders (or other insects)
• Fear of being yelled at
• Fear that you've done something wrong
• Fear of having others upset with you
• Fear of having an uncontrollable neurological condition
• Fear of the dark or fear of night

These are just a few of the submissions we received. All of these are common fears that cause anxiety to elevate.

SKYPE LIVE Call-In sessions.

There are now over 8 hours of audio clips of members' conversations with Jim Folk about a variety of anxiety topics, including how to manage the "crazy thoughts" symptoms, how to deal with dizziness, how to deal with worry, how to deal with breathing symptoms, and how to deal with persistent symptoms, to name a few.

The SKYPE LIVE Call-In archives continues to grow each week. During these live Skype sessions, members can ask Jim questions, as well as interact with others in group discussions. Many of our members have already commented on how helpful these discussions have been.

Any member can participate in these sessions. The next SKYPE LIVE Call-In session is tomorrow, Thursday, May 14 at 12 noon MST. For more information, see the members home page.

I struggle with "crazy thoughts." Does having "crazy thoughts" mean I have a serious mental illness?

Many of those who struggle with anxiety experience fearful, unwanted, bizarre, or outlandish thoughts. We call these the “crazy thoughts” symptoms. Like other anxiety symptoms, the “crazy thoughts" symptoms, are common symptoms of elevated stress. Remember, anxiety symptoms are actually symptoms of stress, and anxiety is a stressor.

Unfortunately, a great many of those who experience the "crazy thoughts" symptoms imagine the worst when these symptoms occur. I (Jim Folk) did, too, when I was struggling with anxiety disorder. Because these symptoms can seem so bizarre and unnatural, many mistakenly conclude they are caused by a serious mental or biological illness.

If your doctor has attributed your symptoms to stress or anxiety, or both, you can feel confident there is nothing more serious causing them. Therefore, the crazy thoughts symptoms are not indications of a serious mental illness or biological problem with your brain. They are simply the consequences of a stressed body. And yes, a stressed body can produce symptoms like the "crazy thoughts" symptoms.

The crazy thoughts symptom can manifest in a great many variations. For example, the thought, content, object, or intent of the thought can be anything. And while the subject or type of thought may be alarming to the individual, it is irrelevant. During our years of personal struggle with anxiety, and the many years as coaches and therapists, we’ve heard a great many examples of these kinds of thoughts. Again, the subject or type of thought can be anything!

Since these types of symptoms can be distressing if you don’t understand them, it's wise to learn how to deal with them so that your body isn’t being unnecessarily stressed by your over concern about them. Being stressed about them is counterproductive to recovery.

For those interested in learning how to deal with the "crazy thoughts" symptoms, the member's area contains an entire section on the "crazy thoughts" symptoms. This section explains what they are, why they occur, and gives you tools and strategies to help you better deal with them. Members can find this section in Chapter Six in the member's area.

For more information about common anxiety symptoms, anxiety therapy, anxiety cure, anxiety treatment, anxiety attacks, and anxiety disorders.

Have a great week!