Angst: I thought it was just me. That too little sleep and too much coffee had made me edgy. But, I see from my latest tour of the blogosphere that others have been feeling the same. This constant procrastination is nerve wracking. Every morning, my local newspaper shouts out headlines that make our defeat seem inevitable.(Like most regional newspapers it relies on the New York Times for national and international news, and it reprints all the Times' regular columnists on the editorial pages.) Every day, I get a stronger impression that our leaders have gone wobbly. That they’re listening too much to those very vocal, very earnest, but also very mistaken critics. It makes me fear for the future. And it makes me edgy.

And it isn’t just the blogosphere. I’ve noticed my patients are becoming increasingly unsettled, too. At first, it was just the friends and relations of men and women in the military who complained of difficulty sleeping and feeling sad. Now, people with no connection to the military are bringing up the war during their visits. And the incidence seems to increase every time there’s an announcement of a diplomatic delay. My last patient on Friday said that she just couldn’t stop sighing. That was why she was there. Sighing too much. And thinking too much about the coming war.

And let me be clear. This generalized anxiety isn’t because of fear of impending war and its possible consequences. It’s because of the interminable uncertainty. Each delay makes us wonder how serious our leaders are about this situation. Each delay makes us worry that the enemy is gaining strength, both here and abroad. Enough is enough. Act already.