Anxiety is a physiological and psychological state characterized by cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components. These components combine to create an uncomfortable feeling that is typically associated with uneasiness, apprehension, or worry. Anxiety is a generalized mood state that occurs without an identifiable triggering stimulus.  As such, it is distinguished from fear, which occurs in the presence of an external threat. Additionally, fear is related to the specific behaviors of escape and avoidance, whereas anxiety is the result of threats that are perceived to be uncontrollable or unavoidable. Research has found that patients who experience anxiety attacks have low magnesium levels in the brain blood vessels.

Even though ADHD is a different situation than anxiety attacks, magnesium deficiencies seem to play a role.  A medication containing magnesium has been found to be successfull in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In a study from Poland, children with ADHD were been found to more deficient than controls in a selected number of bioelements. Magnesium deficiencies were the most pronounced difference. Magnesium supplementation in the ADHD children decreased their hyperactivity.

Magnesium is an intracellular element and after potassium, second most abundant cation found within the cell. Plasma contains less than 1% of body's total magnesium. Physiologically most active form of magnesium is ionized form. Most of the plasma magnesium is bound with albumin, globulin and proteins. This bound form of magnesium is not available for biochemical actions. Binding of magnesium with the specific globulin fractions may be indicative of certain disease patterns. Deficient serum magnesium concentration may be a sign of various pathologies. Thus, the repletion of magnesium may be helpful in the treatment of situations such as anxiety attacks and diseases such as hypertension, acute myocardial infarction and atherosclerosis. Role of magnesium for the treatment of chronic disease, however, is poorly understood and requires a better knowledge of ionized magnesium metabolism.