The symptoms of anxiety begin with a situation that is assessed as a threat and excessive unwanted feelings develop. Most events that cause excessive anxiety are complex, and the full meaning given to the life event takes some time to unfold, appraise accurately, and develop coping skills to deal with in a healthy way. Most people become anxious when threatened by loss of love, position, wealth, or safety. Many events that appear threatening at the time are found to be harmless. It is not the things that go "bump in the night" that produce anxiety, but the meaning given to them. These false meanings are learned early in life and continue to be accepted as accurate. It is the incorrect appraisal of the event that identifies the event as a threat. Many people were taught to fear and avoid situations that produce normal anxiety and so react to anxiety as if it were abnormal, and then generate more fear and worsen their symptoms. The anxiety experienced is consistent with fight or flight responses, symptoms that if left untreated, become long lasting, and turn into feelings of despair and create irrational fears.