Anxiety, stress, and neurological dysfunction: From basic biology to present therapeutic interventions

Abstract

Emotion is a way to express the inherent feeling. In present Indian society, psychological disturbance is still considered as stigma and often not rendered proper counseling and emotional help. Presently, we have tried to conceptualize the borders of mental and emotional well-being and how deviations thereof cause the psychological disturbances. The psyche of each individual is molded by the immediate surrounding which may define the internal thresholds to bear the stress. Presence of emotional stress or anxiety as a comorbidity with other diseases as stroke and cancer often goes unnoticed and deserves a special attention and treatment. We also shed light on how internal as well as external factors lead to disturbances of hormones and neurotransmitters causing anxiety and stressful conditions and how present drugs and the cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) help to alleviate the disease. In addition, traditional ways as mindfulness and heartfulness meditation can help in proper conditioning of mind in turn helping to lead a balanced and stress-free life.