Anxiety is one of those experiences/conditions that is often viewed in negative terms and used as a fall back when physical symptoms/medical conditions cannot be explained. As a mental health professional, I would never diagnose someone with anxiety or use anxiety as a reason for a physical symptom/medical condition without doing an evaluation. All of us experience anxiety during our life. It can be protective as a warning that we need to pay attention to something and protect ourselves. Certainly the person’s coping skills need to be healthy. (driving during rush hour in an unfamiliar area - pay attention, choose a different route vs road rage). But, we are also resilient. We can often manage the stress without relying on another pill. This is where an evaluation comes in. It will assist in determining whether the anxiety is a normal response or has reached a clinical level that needs intervention. Initially, three factors that should be considered: Intensity (severe vs unpleasant, constant vs periodic), interference (interferes with daily living experiences), appropriate ( is it in proportion to the experience). Using anxiety as the default cause for a physical symptom and potential medical condition creates more problems than it solves. A premature, and often faulty, diagnosis of anxiety can lead to increased anxiety, a distraction from the medical condition that should be monitored, misuse of mental health medications, a deterioration of functioning, and then some. I hope the medical profession will heed best practice standards and stop prematurely using anxiety as the default cause of a physical symptom/ medical condition.