The U.S. of Anxiety

The reports seem to deluge us: poison in toys, evil chemicals in plastic. And you learn that cold medicine is bad for your children -- 10 years after you've given it to them.

What is safe? Where is safe?

"We all know children's toys are poisoned from China. We know there is poison in plastic bottles. Partly because all the news channels have to make news," so they tell us things over and over, says Danzinger. "All the news channels, cable, the Internet. Oh, my God -- we can't fly because the planes will fall out of the sky. And bridges will fall down. Didn't a bridge just fall down? I'm not sure I want to go through that tunnel because it is under the Hudson River, and will that hold?"

Her advice: "Turn off the TV. Don't watch the news so much -- not because I'm talking to a newspaper. Newspapers are easier on you than TV. You don't have to read the article." More advice: breathe. Breathe deeply. Don't forget to breathe.

William Morrison, 58, is on his way to jog near Sligo Creek Park, holding his potentially harmful water bottle.

"I've had to deal with fear of flying and fear of public speaking," he says, having stopped to discuss the topic at hand. "Over the years, I've learned you can train yourself to overcome your fears. I just took a couple of plane rides to Europe. . . . I agree with people who say courage is not absence of fear but being able to act despite fear in any situation."

Morrison said he was most fearful when the region was stalked by snipers. "What I ended up doing is dressing in a black track suit and going out and running every night to work off the fear." He overcame it.

He grips his water bottle.

"I have a bottle of water. I have no fear of that," he says. "A lot of these fears are long-acting. I'll be dead by the time toxins have any effect on my body -- if they are there."

He takes a sip.