Appendix 3: Common Manifestations of Self: Defective Emotions - Anxiety

This is one in a series of tables featuring the main emotions discussed in PTP Step 4. Other emotions will be treated in subsequent works on other Steps. Except for resentment, the emotions listed are not necessarily defective. They become defective when, under the influence of our defects of character, our concerns and/or the perceptions of how those concerns are affected, become distorted. Those defects and distortions are the subjects of our inventory. For a discussion of each emotion, the underlying character defects, and their corrective character virtues, see the corresponding chapters in the book and, as they become available, the posts under Emotional Sobriety on this site. For accompanying tables of character defects, see Appendix 4 on this site. The tables are intended to help us take inventory using the guides to Inventory Type and/or B

Anxiety

Definition

Like fear, anxiety is a perception of an aversive possibility or threat to something we care about and a consequent desire to avoid it. But in the case of anxiety, the likelihood of the threat coming to pass is less clear, specific, or definite. For this reason, what can be done to avoid it is also less clear, and while the desire to do so is therefore less urgent, the emotion can be marked by a debilitating sense of helplessness.   

Related
Terms &
Emotions

Related to perception of threat: Apprehension, apprehensiveness, foreboding, premonition, presentiment, presage, solicitude, suspense 

Related to feelings and emotions: Agitated, agitation, Angst, antsiness, apprehensive, butterflies, cold feet, cold sweat, concern, consternation, creeps, discomposure, dismay, disquiet, disquietude, distress, doubt, dread, fidgety, fitfulness, fretfulness, goose bumps, heebie-jeebies, insecurity, jitters, jumpy, misgiving, mistrust, nail-biting, needles, nervous, nervousness, panic, perplexed, perplexity, pins and needles, qualms, restlessness, restiveness, shakes, shivers,  sweat, trepidation, uncertainty, unease, uneasiness, watchfulness, willies, worry, worrisome 

Underlying 
Character
Defects


Cowardice, jealousy, pride, suspiciousness 

Corrective
Character
Virtues

Courage, faith, gratitude, humility

For other emotions, please click on the appropriate link: Anger, Fear, Guilt, RemorseResentment

For appendix 12, or 4, please click on its link.