Self-Diagnosis Anxiety Checklist Directions: Check off which of these 7 symptom combinations you have and which type of anxiety you probably have.
__1.
I feel uncomfortable and experience building tension or discomfort that seems to come out of the blue when I think about a particular situation.
__2.
I avoid specific situations that make me feel uncomfortable.
__3.
I have a least four of the following symptoms at the same time: shortness of breath or feeling smothered; heart palpitations; trembling or shaking; choking; dizziness orunsteadiness; nausea or abdominal distress; numbness; feeling detached or out of touch with myself; fear of dying; fear of going crazy or out of control; hot flashes or chills; sweating without exertion.
__4.
I worry excessively, feel restless, keyed up, on edge, irritable easily fatigued, havetrouble falling asleep or staying asleep or I wake up tired, have tense and tight muscles,have difficulty concentrating, and/or find my mind going blank.
__5.
I have recurring intrusive thoughts such as hurting or harming a close relative, being contaminated by dirt or a toxic substance, fearing I forgot to lock my door or turn off an appliance, and or have unpleasant fantasies about a catastrophe.
__6.
I perform ritualistic actions such as washing my hands or counting to relieve my discomfort because I have fears that keep entering my mind.
__7.
I have witnessed or been subjected to a life-threatening experience and have persistent symptoms that have lasted for at least a month, including repetitive and distressing thoughts, nightmares, flashbacks, attempts to reenact the situation, emotional numbness(out of touch with your emotions)-feeling no anger, sadness, guilt, or relief), feeling detached from other people, losing interest in activities that once gave me pleasure, sleep or concentration problems, startling easily, irritability and/or outbursts of anger.
Key to Your Answers: If you check #1: Just thinking about a situation brings on discomfort; you have anticipatory anxiety.
If you checked #2: Your discomfort arises only in response to being in a specific situation, you have what is called, situational anxiety, and you are likely to be dealing with agoraphobia or fear of going to specific places or being alone.
If your discomfort is related to being in social situations and is related to avoiding humiliating or embarrassing yourself, you may be suffering from social phobia.
If you checked #3: You include among your symptosm shortness of breath or feeling smothered, you have panic attacks.
If your anxiety forces you to avoid certain situationsor objects, you have a phobia.
If the avoidance is of places, such as driving on highways, going to doctors, riding in elevators, using public transportation, going over bridges or going through tunnels, eating in restaurants, going to work, and so forth, you are likely dealing with agorophobia.
If you checked #4:You probably have a generalized anxiety disorder.
If you checked #5:.
You may have an obsessive-compulsive disorder, with obsessions only.
If you checked #6:You are probably dealing with an obsessive compulsive disorder with both obsessions and compulsions.
If you checked #7:You are probably in post-traumatic stress or non-specific anxiety condition.
This self-test is excerpted with permission from Carolyn Chambers Clark's book, LIVING WELL WITH ANXIETY: WHAT YOUR DOCTOR DOESN'T TELL YOU THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, HarperCollins, 2006.
For more information about what to do about your condition, consult LIVING WELL WITH ANXIETY.
Ask for it at your local bookstore or find it at amazon.
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