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Stimulants like caffeine and cigarettes create the physical sense of anxiety artificially by constricting blood vessels and raising the heart beat.
类似咖啡因或是香烟这样的刺激物可以通过收缩血管和让心跳加速来人为地在身体上制造出紧张感。
Living with a constant anxiety buzz crosses the line into a disorder when people can't turn it off, or when it interferes with functioning. "Ask yourself: Is it causing significant impairment in my life, and is it causing significant distress?" says Dr. Tirch.
如果长期受焦虑困扰，直至人们无法自行摆脱，或是这种焦虑感会影响到身体的正常功能，那么意味着这已经发展成为病症。美国认知疗法协会的蒂尔奇说，“问问你自己：焦虑有没有给我的生活带来重大的伤害，有没有带来极大的苦恼？”
Anxiety is also dysfunctional if it is causing physical tension in the body, or if it is generated by a constant stream of self-criticism, which can be self-fulfilling. Being unable to sleep or relax without alcohol or medication are also red flags.
焦虑如果造成身体上的紧张，或者是由自我造成的持续不断的自我贬低所致，那么这种焦虑可能已发展成为病症。此外，若不依靠酒精或是药物就无法入睡或是放松，则也应该引起警惕。
"Needing a glass of wine to relax is disconcerting," says Dr. Legato. "If you need solace at the end of the day, you are torturing yourself in some way."
雷加图说，“需要一杯红酒才能放松下来的状态挺让人不安的。如果你在每天晚上都需要一些安慰，那么你是在以某种方式折磨你自己。”
Anxiety is especially self-defeating when people focus on the fear itself, rather than the task at hand. The best way to stay in the "sweet spot," Dr. Moser says, is to channel the anxiety into productive activity - like studying and acing the test. "I tell a lot of my patients that Nike really has a great slogan - Just Do It," he says.
当人们将注意力放在恐惧本身、而非手头的任务时，焦虑尤其具有破坏力。莫泽认为，要掌握好平衡点，最好的方式是将焦虑引导到富有成效的行动中去，比如说去学习并通过测试。莫泽说，“我和我的很多患者说过，耐克公司的确有个很不错的广告语──Just Do It。”
Turning anxiety into action is also a major component of cognitive behavioral therapy, which is widely seen as the most effective treatment for anxiety disorders. Identifying and challenging self-defeating thoughts, and gradually facing the source of fears, can provide more lasting relief than antianxiety medications, psychologists say.
将焦虑转化为行动也是认知行为疗法的一个重要组成部分，这种疗法被广泛视为治疗焦虑症最有效的治疗手段。心理学家们说，辨别出具有自我破坏能力的想法，并去大胆面对，逐步直面恐惧的源头，这种做法比药物控制焦虑能带来更持久的安慰。
"If you have to take Xanax to get on the elevator, you never learn that the elevator isn't something to be afraid of," says Dr. Josephson. "You have to embrace the anxiety to overcome it."
约瑟夫森说，“如果你必须依靠服用赞安诺(Xanax)才能乘电梯，你永远不会明白电梯不是个值得害怕的东西。要克服焦虑，你必须去面对它。”
That is often how psychologists help performers overcome stage fright or athletes snap out of a slump. Relaxation techniques such as meditation and deep breathing can bring a toxic level of anxiety down, but harnessing it can ultimately be more effective. Rehearsing a scenario repeatedly can help manage and defuse the fear.
这是心理学家帮助演员克服晕场或是帮助运动员摆脱低谷状态最常用的办法。诸如服用药物或是深呼吸这样的放松技巧或许可以将焦虑程度降下来，不过直接控制焦虑最终而言才是更有效的做法。对可能发生的场景进行反复练习能够帮助控制并缓和恐惧。
"We'll say to athletes, You're going to be anxious. Great. Channel it and use it," Dr. Josephson says. "Being willing to feel some anxiety and not running away from it is huge."
约瑟夫森说，“我们对运动员说，‘你将会感到焦虑。这太好了。引导它，利用它吧。’愿意感受一些焦虑而不是从它身边逃跑，这很了不起。”
