Since the time of the ancient Greeks, there have been consistent reports of a problem causing the most irrational fears in otherwise rational persons. It was not until the end of the nineteenth century that this came to be known as agoraphobia, which literally translated means "fear of the marketplace". While a fear of particular situations characterizes the majority of panic symptoms, evidence suggests that these situational fears are not the primary fears in panic. Individuals with anxiety are responding appropriately to their thoughts, it's just that the thoughts are often not appropriate to the situation. In this sense, panic is a false alarm, and stress increases our sensitivity to being alarmed. It's like a car alarm going off at the wrong time. Everyone has thoughts, feelings, and behaviors throughout the day. These thoughts, feelings, and behaviors influence each other. Sometimes, people are unaware of these influences, especially the influence of thoughts on feelings. It is easy to assume that events lead directly to emotions. This is most important, because it may lead people to believe that they have no influence over the way they think, feel, or behave. This leads to panic and anxiety.
