Dear k e:

I define anxiety as “excessive, ongoing fear.” I believe it develops when a person, often a child, is stuck in an unsafe situation, with no way to fight perceived danger OR to run away from it. When the Fight-or-Flight natural response to danger is blocked, fear becomes excessive and ongoing, hence anxiety.

Examples of perceived dangers for a child: not being loved by a parent and in turn the parent not caring for the dependent child. Another perceived danger: parents fighting which may bring to a parent not being alive and therefore not being able to care for the child.

anita