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Have you ever had sweaty palms before a big test or interview? Maybe you've felt your heart hammering in your chest and swallowed hard after witnessing a near accident? Ever been so stressed out you felt irritable, couldn't concentrate on your task, or felt nauseous? These are all common symptoms of anxiety.
Although there is a lot of stigma on this topic, we actually need some anxiety in our lives to function properly. Anxiety symptoms are warning signs your body sends to warn you of impending danger, thus enabling you to act accordingly to avoid the threat. How can this be a good thing? Anxiety releases stress hormones such as adrenaline. This can come in pretty handy:
Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric illnesses affecting children and adults today. Less than half of all people suffering from an anxiety disorder seek help, though anxiety can be treated effectively through therapy, medication, and/or lifestyle and diet changes.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Persistent, excessive, long-lasting worry about everyday things without being able to pinpoint a specific reason for concern and/or control the worry. Sufferers may fear the worst and anticipate disaster with regards to school, work, social activities, relationships, health, and other issues. In severe cases, many people can experience debilitating difficulty with everyday tasks and/or thoughts about getting through the day.
Panic Disorder: Sudden, unexpected, repeated panic attacks and persistent fear of and worry about recurring attacks in between. Symptoms of a panic attack include a pounding or racing heartbeat; feeling dizzy, weak, lightheaded or faint; shortness of breath or feeling of smothering; palpitations; nausea or abdominal distress; trembling or shaking; chest pain or discomfort; feelings of being detached from reality or oneself; fear of losing control, going crazy, or dying; numbness or tingling sensations; and/or cold chills or hot flashes. Panic attacks may peak over a ten minute period but can sometimes last for hours afterwards. Many sufferers are often admitted to the hospital as their symptoms are mistaken for other problems, such as heart attacks, and may feel similar as well.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Recurrent, intrusive, unwanted, disturbing thoughts (obsessions) that lead to repetitive, ritualized actions the sufferer feels compelled to perform (compulsions) to ease feelings of anxiety often resulting from the obsessions. Although OCD is stereotypically thought to be defined by having both obsessions and compulsions, some can have OCD with only obsessions or only compulsions. Sufferers acknowledge that their thoughts or behaviors are excessive or senseless, but continue caving to them anyway even though it disrupts their daily lives and they find it distressing. Common obsessions can include fear of contamination, unwanted acts of aggression, unacceptable sexual or religious thoughts, and the need for symmetry or exactness. Common compulsions can include excessive cleaning, checking and arranging rituals, counting, unnecessarily repetitive routine activities, hoarding, and mental rituals such as mental recitations.
Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia): A significant and persistent fear of performance or one or more social situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or possible scrutiny by others that leads to avoidance of places and social situations to alleviate feelings of anxiety, disrupting the sufferer's daily life. Social situations and ventures usually include planning ahead with great detail and overwhelming anxiety as well as anxious thoughts afterwards. The person recognizes that this fear is excessive or unreasonable but continues distressing themselves with debilitating thoughts of anxiety and/or goes out of their way to avoid the social situation(s) altogether.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Potentially debilitating reactions that occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a natural disaster, accident, terrorist incident, death of a loved one, war, or violent personal assault such as rape, kidnapping, abuse, and robbery or other traumatic, tragic, or terrifying events. Symptoms include flashbacks in the form of disturbing recollections during the day and/or nightmares of the experience, which can often be quite livid and easily triggered. For some, the symptoms can take months to show up and in some cases, people may go weeks or months in between symptoms then suddenly experience them daily without reason. Sufferers may also feel detached or numb, or be easily startled, and feel irritable, more aggressive than before, or even violent. Seeing things that remind them of the incident may be very distressing, which could lead them to avoid certain places or situations that bring back those memories. Anniversaries of the event are often very difficult.
Phobias: Persistent, irrational, exaggerated fears of certain objects or situations that disrupt someone's everyday activities. Many sufferers are so overwhelmed by their fears and feelings of anxiety that they avoid certain settings or situations completely. Examples include people with Triskaidekaphobia refusing to enter a building with a thirteenth floor or people with Arachnophobia fleeing a room at a picture of a spider or avoiding settings that may involve spiders.
If you or someone you know suffers from an anxiety disorder, your doctor can help you effectively treat it through therapy, medication, and/or lifestyle and diet changes.
Emotional Symptoms
Physical Symptoms
Symptoms of Anxiety Attacks
Although there is a lot of stigma on this topic, we actually need some anxiety in our lives to function properly. Anxiety symptoms are warning signs your body sends to warn you of impending danger, thus enabling you to act accordingly to avoid the threat. How can this be a good thing? Anxiety releases stress hormones such as adrenaline. This can come in pretty handy:
- If a speeding car is rushing towards you, anxiety alerts your body so that you can get out of the way.
- If a suspicious car or person is following you, anxiety keeps you on alert and/or pushes you to get an escort.
- If you're nervous about a test or interview, anxiety can make you study harder or be more prepared beforehand.
Normal Anxiety vs. Anxiety Disorders
In small doses for relevant situations, anxiety is normal and healthy. When anxiety is chronic, interferes with your daily life, and causes you to think and act irrationally, it may be time to ask your health practitioner about anxiety disorders.
Examples of Anxiety Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Persistent, excessive, long-lasting worry about everyday things without being able to pinpoint a specific reason for concern and/or control the worry. Sufferers may fear the worst and anticipate disaster with regards to school, work, social activities, relationships, health, and other issues. In severe cases, many people can experience debilitating difficulty with everyday tasks and/or thoughts about getting through the day.
Panic Disorder: Sudden, unexpected, repeated panic attacks and persistent fear of and worry about recurring attacks in between. Symptoms of a panic attack include a pounding or racing heartbeat; feeling dizzy, weak, lightheaded or faint; shortness of breath or feeling of smothering; palpitations; nausea or abdominal distress; trembling or shaking; chest pain or discomfort; feelings of being detached from reality or oneself; fear of losing control, going crazy, or dying; numbness or tingling sensations; and/or cold chills or hot flashes. Panic attacks may peak over a ten minute period but can sometimes last for hours afterwards. Many sufferers are often admitted to the hospital as their symptoms are mistaken for other problems, such as heart attacks, and may feel similar as well.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Recurrent, intrusive, unwanted, disturbing thoughts (obsessions) that lead to repetitive, ritualized actions the sufferer feels compelled to perform (compulsions) to ease feelings of anxiety often resulting from the obsessions. Although OCD is stereotypically thought to be defined by having both obsessions and compulsions, some can have OCD with only obsessions or only compulsions. Sufferers acknowledge that their thoughts or behaviors are excessive or senseless, but continue caving to them anyway even though it disrupts their daily lives and they find it distressing. Common obsessions can include fear of contamination, unwanted acts of aggression, unacceptable sexual or religious thoughts, and the need for symmetry or exactness. Common compulsions can include excessive cleaning, checking and arranging rituals, counting, unnecessarily repetitive routine activities, hoarding, and mental rituals such as mental recitations.
Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia): A significant and persistent fear of performance or one or more social situations in which the person is exposed to unfamiliar people or possible scrutiny by others that leads to avoidance of places and social situations to alleviate feelings of anxiety, disrupting the sufferer's daily life. Social situations and ventures usually include planning ahead with great detail and overwhelming anxiety as well as anxious thoughts afterwards. The person recognizes that this fear is excessive or unreasonable but continues distressing themselves with debilitating thoughts of anxiety and/or goes out of their way to avoid the social situation(s) altogether.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Potentially debilitating reactions that occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a natural disaster, accident, terrorist incident, death of a loved one, war, or violent personal assault such as rape, kidnapping, abuse, and robbery or other traumatic, tragic, or terrifying events. Symptoms include flashbacks in the form of disturbing recollections during the day and/or nightmares of the experience, which can often be quite livid and easily triggered. For some, the symptoms can take months to show up and in some cases, people may go weeks or months in between symptoms then suddenly experience them daily without reason. Sufferers may also feel detached or numb, or be easily startled, and feel irritable, more aggressive than before, or even violent. Seeing things that remind them of the incident may be very distressing, which could lead them to avoid certain places or situations that bring back those memories. Anniversaries of the event are often very difficult.
Phobias: Persistent, irrational, exaggerated fears of certain objects or situations that disrupt someone's everyday activities. Many sufferers are so overwhelmed by their fears and feelings of anxiety that they avoid certain settings or situations completely. Examples include people with Triskaidekaphobia refusing to enter a building with a thirteenth floor or people with Arachnophobia fleeing a room at a picture of a spider or avoiding settings that may involve spiders.
What Do You Do?
If you or someone you know suffers from an anxiety disorder, your doctor can help you effectively treat it through therapy, medication, and/or lifestyle and diet changes.
What To Look Out For:
Persistently experiencing a number of the following symptoms for 6 months, especially if it disrupts your life, could be an indication of an anxiety disorder.
Emotional Symptoms
- Feelings of apprehension or dread
- Trouble concentrating
- Feeling tense and jumpy
- Anticipating the worst
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Watching for signs of danger
- Feeling like your mind?s gone blank
- Easily tired
Physical Symptoms
- Pounding heart
- Stomach upset, nausea, or dizziness
- Frequent urination or diarrhea
- Shortness of breath
- Tremors and twitches
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Trembling
- Backache
- Heart palpitations
- Numbness or "pins and needles" in arms, hands or legs
- Sweating/flushing
- Muscle tension
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Being easily startled
Symptoms of Anxiety Attacks
- Surge of overwhelming panic
- Feeling of losing control or going crazy
- Heart palpitations or chest pain
- Feeling like you?re going to pass out
- Trouble breathing or choking sensation
- Hyperventilation
- Hot flashes or chills
- Trembling or shaking
- Nausea or stomach cramps
- Feeling detached or unreal
Coping With Everyday Anxiety
