The Symptoms Of Anxiety Can Be Hard To Detect Here Are The Ones You Need To Pay Attention To And How To Know If You May Have An Anxiety Disorder
A Portland, Oregon-based freelance writer, Stephanie Booths stories have appeared in print magazines like Real Simple, Cosmopolitan, Psychology Today, and Parents newspapers like The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times websites like Healthline and WebMD, and the occasional digital health app. When not writing, shes reading, hiking, doing yoga, and wishing she had a million dollars to donate to Best Friends Animal Society.
Everyone can expect to have the occasional bout of anxietymaybe you get nervous before an interview or a first datebut sometimes, that anxiety doesn’t subside, which may indicate an anxiety disorder.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health , there are a few different types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and phobia-related anxiety disorders, but they all hinge on one important aspect: when overwhelming feelings of worry or fear impinge on a person’s daily life.
Researchers believe that anxiety disorders can stem from both genetic and environmental factors, and these anxiety disorders are typically treated through a variety of interventions, including psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of the two, according to the NIMH.
Why Some People Are More Prone To Anxiety
Although we’re all wired to have some degree of anxiety and fear, these systems can go awry. When they do, signs tend to show up pretty early in life, as early as a few months of age.
Jerome Kagan, a famous researcher from Harvard, studied children for many years and found that there was a subset of kids who showed a marked tendency toward, what he called, behavioral inhibition to the unfamiliar , from a few months of age.
When he hung a strange toy or mobile in a crib, most children would explore it, but the BI kids became clearly frightened and anxious and cried until it was taken away. So he found that that tendency toward anxiety seems to be, in part, hardwired.
People are often born with a predisposition to anxiety. Anxiety tends to run in families, so children whose parents have anxiety difficulties are at an increased risk.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder: When Worry Gets Out Of Control
Do you often find yourself worrying about everyday issues for no obvious reason? Are you always waiting for disaster to strike or excessively worried about things such as health, money, family, work, or school?
If so, you may have a type of anxiety disorder called generalized anxiety disorder . GAD can make daily life feel like a constant state of worry, fear, and dread. The good news is GAD is treatable. Learn more about the symptoms of GAD and how to find help.
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Why Am I Anxious For No Reason
Anxiety can be caused by a variety of things: stress, genetics, brain chemistry, traumatic events, or environmental factors. Symptoms can be reduced with anti-anxiety medication. But even with medication, people may still experience some anxiety or even panic attacks. The best treatment combines medication with therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy. If the anxiety is rooted in trauma, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing may be the best course.
Anxiety usually has a triggeran event or thought that provokes an anxious response. However, most people arent aware of their triggers, and believe they have become anxious for no reason. As human beings evolved, our species developed an instinctual response to danger, known as fight, flight, or freeze. The sympathetic nervous system makes our bodies and minds react quickly when we are in danger, and we may choose to stand and fight, run away, or stay totally still as if playing dead, known as the freeze response.
Our anxiety, or fear, evolved as an alarm bell to move us into life-saving action. In our modern world, we encounter conflicts that arent actually life-threatening. But our nervous system doesnt know this, and so we can react to a variety of stimuli with the fight, flight, or freeze response, even when it is inappropriate. Add this to the fact that anxiety can also cause confusion or disassociation, and you can see why the exact causes of your anxiety are often so hard to pin down.
Defining Anxiety Vs Worry
Most people feel fear or even brief panic when confronted with a threat: When someone swerves their car into your lane or you turn around in a store and your toddler is out of sight, for instance.
In those situations, you may notice you have a physical response, like a racing heart, sudden perspiration or a knot in your stomach.
Anxiety is similar, but it comes from a perceived threat rather than an immediate threat, Dr. Rock says. The symptoms for anxiety vary from person to person and with the cause of the stress.
Dr. Rock breaks anxiety down into common anxiety disorders, with varying symptoms, including:
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Anxiety And Panic Attacks
Explains anxiety and panic attacks, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Mae’r dudalen hon hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg. This link will take you to a Welsh translation of this page.
What Are The Different Types Of Anxiety Disorder
This section provides an overview of the most common types of anxiety disorders.
- Generalised anxiety disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
Generalised anxiety disorder
GAD is common. The main symptom of GAD is over worrying about different activities and events. This may feel out of your control. You feel anxious a lot of the time if you have GAD. You might feel on edge and alert to your surroundings.
This can affect your day-to-day life. You might find that it affects your ability to work, travel places or leave the house. You might also get tired easily or have trouble sleeping or concentrating. You might have physical symptoms, such as muscle tension and sweating.
It is common to have other conditions such as depression or other anxiety disorders if you have GAD.
GAD can be difficult to diagnose because it does not have some of the unique symptoms of other anxiety disorders. Your doctor is likely to say you have GAD if you have felt anxious for most days over six months and it has had a bad impact on areas of your life.
Panic disorder
You will have regular panic attacks with no particular trigger if you have panic disorder. They can happen suddenly and feel intense and frightening. You may also worry about having another panic attack.
Panic disorder symptoms can include the following.
You may also dissociate during a panic attack. Such as feeling detached from yourself.
Social anxiety disorder
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Symptoms Of Anxiety In Men
Anxiety is more than having sweaty palms and butterflies in your stomach. Symptoms of anxiety can include ongoing feelings of worry, fear and impending doom that are so severe they interfere with your ability to work, maintain relationships and get a decent nights sleep. Physical signs of anxiety may include:
- pounding or racing heart
- thinking about death or suicide.
Anxious Thoughts: When To Be Concerned
Everyone worries. But severe anxiety occurs when you worry more than a situation warrants. Many people with anxiety disorders realize they are worrying more than they should, but they cannot shake their anxiety.
Overly anxious thoughts may make you:
- Feel irritable or tired
- Have a hard time relaxing
- Sleep poorly or have trouble falling asleep
- Trouble breathing or swallowing
- Twitching, trembling or sweating
People with severe anxiety can have a hard time doing basic daily tasks. They may feel paralyzed by fear or worry. They may avoid situations that trigger anxiety. Or they may have trouble working, going to school, or socializing. See your doctor if you have any of these symptoms. Treatment can help relieve anxious thoughts. It can also teach you how to cope with anxiety.
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Signs Of Specific Anxiety Disorders
There are many types of anxiety disorders. Each one has its own telltale symptoms and behaviors. Here are a few signs of severe anxiety that are related to specific anxiety disorders:
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Compulsions: Doing something over and over again is called a compulsion. People with obsessive-compulsive disorder use compulsions to control anxious thoughts.
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Flashbacks: Reliving a traumatic experience in thoughts is called a flashback. People with post-traumatic stress disorder have flashbacks of traumatic events.
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Panic attacks: A panic attack is a sudden feeling of terror. It is often accompanied by physical symptoms, such as a rapid heartbeat and light-headedness. Panic attacks are the main sign of panic disorder.
Do I Have An Anxiety Disorder
If you identify with any of the following seven signs and symptoms, and they just wont go away, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder:
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Prevalence Of Anxiety And Depression In Men
On average, one in 8 men will have depression and one in 5 men will experience anxiety at some stage of their lives.
Men are less likely to experience anxiety and depression than women. They are also less likely to talk about it. This increases the risk of their anxiety or depression going unrecognised and untreated.
Untreated depression is a high risk factor for suicide. In Australia, there are about 3,000 suicides each year. Around 75% of people who take their lives are men, with an average of almost 7 men taking their lives every day.
Its important to remember that anxiety and depression are conditions, not weaknesses, and effective treatments are available.
and depression not only for you, but for your friends and family. Visit Beyond Blue to find out more about anxiety.
How Do I Know When My Anxiety Needs Treatment
Any time a mental health issue such as anxiety gets so far out of hand that it disrupts your daily life, its time to get help. Especially if one or more symptoms cause you a lot of distress and worry, you should seek treatment before your symptoms get worse.
Most mental health disorders exist on a spectrum. For some people, symptoms are less severe and respond well to outpatient treatment. But for many others, its going to take intensive treatment to make headways into recovery. Particularly if youve tried outpatient therapy and it hasnt worked, residential treatment could be your best option.
But how do you know when your anxiety is severe and lasting enough to qualify as an actual disorder? Its impossible to pinpoint without a clinician, but you can learn to spot the same signs a clinician would look for.
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Your Anxiety Is Harming Your Physical Well
Occasional anxious thoughts may cause more mental stress than physical symptoms. However, if you have an anxiety disorder, you will likely experience physical symptoms that sap your energy and interfere with your daily functioning. These signs could include sleeping troubles, unexplained muscle aches and digestive issues.
Talk To A Professional
Anxiety is one of the most common types of mental health conditions. According to the National Institute of Mental Health , 19.1% of adults in the United States experience an anxiety disorder each year and an estimated 31.1% of adults will experience an anxiety disorder at some point during their lives.
Anxiety disorders also tend to be more prevalent among women than men. Because women are twice as likely as men to be affected by an anxiety disorder, experts suggest that women and girls age 13 and older should be screened for anxiety during regular health exams.
If anxiety is making it difficult to function normally or creating significant distress in your life, it is important to get help. This anxiety typically will not go away on its own and it often grows worse over time. Many of the coping strategies that people use to decrease anxietysuch as avoidanceend up making the problem worse.
Anxiety is a common problem that tends to affect women more than men. If you are experiencing extreme anxiety, it is important to seek help from a health professional. A mental health professional can diagnose your condition and recommend treatment options that can help you combat feelings of extreme anxiety.
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Can You Overcome It
It might not feel like it in the moment, but relationship anxiety can be overcome, though it does take some time and effort. And doing so usually involves more than simply being told that your relationship is fine.
I can tell someone their anxiety doesnt necessarily mean theres an underlying problem in the relationship, and indeed they may be well loved, Robertson says. But until they have felt sense that all is well, that they truly are safe and secure, the anxiety will likely persist.
She encourages addressing relationship anxiety early, before it becomes a problem.
These tips can help you get the ball rolling:
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Why Your Body Has A Physical Reaction To Anxiety
There is a connection between the centers in the brain that are controlling anxiety and fear and different physical parts of the body.
For instance, the centers of the brain that are involved with anxiety can also stimulate nerves that travel down to the heart and cause rapid heartbeat. Or, they stimulate nerves down to the gut and cause irritable bowel symptoms.
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What Does Anxiety Feel Like
According to Bourne, while people may experience anxiety in different ways, in many cases it affects a person’s entire being psychologically, physically, and behaviorally and it crosses over into something truly distressing.
Psychologically, anxiety involves subjective feelings of uneasiness or apprehension, he says. Physically, anxiety might include bodily sensations such as rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, dry mouth, or sweating. And behaviorally, it could lead a person to avoid ordinary situations, stop communicating about feelings, or fail to make decisions.
In its most extreme form, anxiety can cause you to feel detached from yourself or even fearful of dying, going crazy, or thinking irrationally, Bourne adds.
Normal Anxiety Vs Anxiety Disorders
Not all anxiety is a bad thing. Normal levels of anxiety can be adaptive because it helps prepare you for situations where you need to respond to stresses in the environment.
The difference between normal anxiety and what would be characterized as extreme anxiety is how it affects your ability to function and the level of distress that it creates.
When anxiety is extreme or severe, it makes it difficult or impossible for you to function normally in different situations. It may make it so you cannot work or socialize like you normally would. It can create such severe distress that you actually begin to avoid situations that are likely to trigger feelings of anxiety.
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How To Tell If You Have Anxiety Depression Or Both
As you can see from the symptom descriptions, there is some cross-over between the two. In mental health, one of the more common comorbidities is that of depression and anxiety. This means that more than one disease or condition can be present in the same person at the same time. In fact, some studies show that 60% of those with anxiety will also have symptoms of depression and the numbers are similar for those with depression.
Anxiety and depression can occur sequentially, one after another, or they can co-occur, said Jerimya Fox, a licensed professional counselor and a doctor of behavioral health at Banner Behavioral Health Hospital. This is because the same neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine and epinephrine, are involved in both.
To meet the diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder or depression, however, symptoms must be persistent and impairing.
For anxiety, these must persist for several months, and for depression a couple weeks, Dr. Fox said.
To assess the severity of your symptoms, Dr. Fox suggests the following:
- Ask a trusted family member or friend if they have noticed changes in your behavior.
- Recognize the severity of your symptoms: mild, moderate or severe.
- Track your thoughts and symptoms. How often are you getting sick? How often are you having racing thoughts? How often are you having difficulty getting out of bed?
How Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treated
If you think youre experiencing symptoms of GAD, talk to a health care provider. After discussing your history, a health care provider may conduct a physical exam to ensure that an unrelated physical problem is not causing your symptoms. A health care provider may refer you to a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical social worker. The first step to effective treatment is to get a diagnosis, usually from a mental health professional.
GAD is generally treated with psychotherapy , medication, or both. Speak with a health care provider about the best treatment for you.
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