Symptoms of an Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety disorders usually involve recurring episodes of sudden feelings of severe anxiety and fear or terror that, within minutes, reach their peak. To experience occasional anxiety is a regular thing. But, people with anxiety disorders often have intense, excessive, constant worry and fear about every situation.
These anxious and panicky sensations make it difficult for you to go about your normal life. They are very difficult to manage; disproportionate to the real damage they do, and continue for an extremely extended period of time. Their symptoms could not become apparent until they are in their early infancy or throughout their teenage years, but they last far into maturity. You may prevent these sensations by avoiding any circumstance and not going to the areas where they occur.
Anxiety often happens due to a medical condition that needs to be treated. Some examples of anxiety disorders are generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias and separation anxiety disorder. You can easily have more than one anxiety disorder at a time.
You should remember that no matter what type of anxiety you have, treatments always help.
Symptoms of an Anxiety Disorder
If you want to know whether you have anxiety or not, you should know of its symptoms which are:
- If you feel nervous, restless or tense.
- If you feel like there is an impending danger, panic or doom.
- If your heart rate increases.
- If you hyperventilate or start to breathe rapidly.
- You are sweating and trembling.
- If you feel weak or tired.
- If you have a problem concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry.
- If you can’t sleep properly.
- If you experience gastrointestinal (GI) issues.
- If you aren’t able to control your worries.
- If you have the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety.
When you are in need to see a doctor
When the following situations occur, you should see a doctor:
- If you worry too much, which affects your work, relationships or other parts of your life?
- You cannot control your fear, worry and anxiety, which upsets you.
- You start to feel depressed or sad and have problems with alcohol or drug use or even start having other mental health concerns and anxiety.
- If you start thinking that your anxiety links to a physical health issue.
- If you have suicidal thoughts or behaviour, you should immediately consult a doctor for your treatment.
Visit your doctor or anxiety therapist as soon as possible before your anxiety worsens because it’s easier to treat it beforehand.
Complications of An Anxiety Disorder
Having an anxiety disorder may complicate many things for you because other than making you worry, it may lead you to, or worsen, other mental and physical conditions, such as:
- Depression sometimes happens with anxiety or other mental health disorders.
- Substance misuse.
- Trouble sleeping or insomnia.
- Issues related to digestion.
- Headaches and chronic pain.
- Social isolation.
- Issues functioning at school or work.
- Poor way of life.
- Suicide.