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Anxiety sensitivity refers to the fear of behaviours or sensations associated with the experience of anxiety, and a misinterpretation of such sensations as dangerous. Bodily sensations related to anxiety, such as nausea and palpitations, are mistaken as harmful experiences, causing anxiety or fear to intensify. For example, a person with high anxiety sensitivity may fear the shakes as impending neurological disorder, or may suspect lightheadedness is the result of a brain tumour; conversely, a person with low anxiety sensitivity is likely to identify these as harmless and attach no significance to them. The Anxiety Sensitivity Index attempts to assess anxiety sensitivity.
Anxiety sensitivity is distinct from, although related to and associated with, health anxiety.
Similarly, it is distinguished from general "trait anxiety" by a focus on physical symptoms and sensations, as opposed to general stress.