How to Identify an Anxiety Disorder Symptom
Anxiety disorders are a group of related conditions rather than a single disorder.
Because of this, they can manifest in very different ways from person to person.
It is important to determine if what you are experiencing is truly an anxiety disorder symptom or if it is simply a case of normal worry.
It's normal for stressful situations to cause a feeling of being under pressure or tenseness.
This type of mild anxiety often helps a person to remain alert to possible dangerous situations.
It can also spur someone into action or motivate them to find a quick solution for potential problems.
In cases where the anxiety becomes constant or overwhelming there could be something much more serious going on.
If it interferes with your daily activities or relationships, those twinges of severe anxiety may actually be an anxiety disorder symptom.
If things have become this severe in your daily life, then you've crossed the line from normal anxiety into the territory of anxiety disorders.
Do you have this type of disorder? Only a professional healthcare provider or psychiatrist can determine that.
You can; however, make the decision to seek the help based on whether or not you exhibit these symptoms.
So, what is a symptom? Well, there are quite a few signs of anxiety but only when they hit a certain extreme do they become something to be majorly concerned about.
How do you know what is extreme? Read on to find out what can actually be an early warning that you exhibit an anxiety disorder.
If you identify with several of the following signs and symptoms, and they just won't go away, you may be suffering from this type of disorder.
Does your anxiety interfere with your work, school, or family responsibilities? Are you constantly tense, worried, or on edge? Do you believe that something bad will happen if certain things aren't done a certain way? Are you plagued by fears that you know are irrational, but can't shake off? Have you ended a relationship with a friend or family member based on an irrational worry? Do you avoid everyday situations or activities because they make you anxious? Do you experience sudden, unexpected attacks of heart-pounding panic or sweats and chills? Do you feel like danger and catastrophe are around every corner? If any of these severe situations seem like something you experience regularly in your life, you are experiencing an anxiety disorder symptom.
In addition to these primary symptoms, there are also several secondary emotional symptoms which can be qualified as signs of an anxiety disorder.
The most common of these is a constant feeling of apprehension or dread, followed closely by feeling jittery, tense, or jumpy, as if your skin is crawling.
Trouble concentrating on basic tasks or conversations, irritability, restlessness, and feeling like your mind has gone suddenly blank can also be good indicators that you are suffering a bonafide anxiety disorder.
Lastly, but not least important is constantly anticipating the worst in every situation or watching for signs of peril at every turn.
There are also many symptoms that occur in every person's life at some point and are perfectly normal, but if you find them happening to you frequently and repeatedly, they are cause to see a professional before they develop into a full blown anxiety disorder.
These include a racing heart, profuse sweating, stomach upset, faintness, dizziness, urination or bowel urgency, and shortness of breath.
In addition, daily severe headaches, tremors, twitches, fatigue that can't be alleviated with sufficient rest, and chronic insomnia can all be early signs that will later develop into an anxiety disorder, especially if you experience more than one of them in a 24 hour period.
Many people with anxiety disorders also suffer from depression at some point in their lives.
Anxiety and depression have been for a long time believed to stem from the same biological vulnerability.
This may explain why they so often happen together.
Since depression makes anxiety worse, it's important to seek treatment for both conditions.
But, even without any noticeable signs of depression, you need to see a qualified professional for diagnosis and treatment if you suffer an obvious anxiety disorder symptom.
Because of this, they can manifest in very different ways from person to person.
It is important to determine if what you are experiencing is truly an anxiety disorder symptom or if it is simply a case of normal worry.
It's normal for stressful situations to cause a feeling of being under pressure or tenseness.
This type of mild anxiety often helps a person to remain alert to possible dangerous situations.
It can also spur someone into action or motivate them to find a quick solution for potential problems.
In cases where the anxiety becomes constant or overwhelming there could be something much more serious going on.
If it interferes with your daily activities or relationships, those twinges of severe anxiety may actually be an anxiety disorder symptom.
If things have become this severe in your daily life, then you've crossed the line from normal anxiety into the territory of anxiety disorders.
Do you have this type of disorder? Only a professional healthcare provider or psychiatrist can determine that.
You can; however, make the decision to seek the help based on whether or not you exhibit these symptoms.
So, what is a symptom? Well, there are quite a few signs of anxiety but only when they hit a certain extreme do they become something to be majorly concerned about.
How do you know what is extreme? Read on to find out what can actually be an early warning that you exhibit an anxiety disorder.
If you identify with several of the following signs and symptoms, and they just won't go away, you may be suffering from this type of disorder.
Does your anxiety interfere with your work, school, or family responsibilities? Are you constantly tense, worried, or on edge? Do you believe that something bad will happen if certain things aren't done a certain way? Are you plagued by fears that you know are irrational, but can't shake off? Have you ended a relationship with a friend or family member based on an irrational worry? Do you avoid everyday situations or activities because they make you anxious? Do you experience sudden, unexpected attacks of heart-pounding panic or sweats and chills? Do you feel like danger and catastrophe are around every corner? If any of these severe situations seem like something you experience regularly in your life, you are experiencing an anxiety disorder symptom.
In addition to these primary symptoms, there are also several secondary emotional symptoms which can be qualified as signs of an anxiety disorder.
The most common of these is a constant feeling of apprehension or dread, followed closely by feeling jittery, tense, or jumpy, as if your skin is crawling.
Trouble concentrating on basic tasks or conversations, irritability, restlessness, and feeling like your mind has gone suddenly blank can also be good indicators that you are suffering a bonafide anxiety disorder.
Lastly, but not least important is constantly anticipating the worst in every situation or watching for signs of peril at every turn.
There are also many symptoms that occur in every person's life at some point and are perfectly normal, but if you find them happening to you frequently and repeatedly, they are cause to see a professional before they develop into a full blown anxiety disorder.
These include a racing heart, profuse sweating, stomach upset, faintness, dizziness, urination or bowel urgency, and shortness of breath.
In addition, daily severe headaches, tremors, twitches, fatigue that can't be alleviated with sufficient rest, and chronic insomnia can all be early signs that will later develop into an anxiety disorder, especially if you experience more than one of them in a 24 hour period.
Many people with anxiety disorders also suffer from depression at some point in their lives.
Anxiety and depression have been for a long time believed to stem from the same biological vulnerability.
This may explain why they so often happen together.
Since depression makes anxiety worse, it's important to seek treatment for both conditions.
But, even without any noticeable signs of depression, you need to see a qualified professional for diagnosis and treatment if you suffer an obvious anxiety disorder symptom.
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