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What is Anxiety and 10 Signs You May Have an Anxiety Disorder

What is Anxiety and 10 Signs You May Have an Anxiety Disorder

The American Psychological Association defines anxiety as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure”. It is important to know the difference between normal feelings of anxiety and an anxiety disorder that requires medical attention. Whether it is a problem all depends on the amount and nature of the anxiety.

It is not always clear whether a person suffers from anxiety disorder as there are many symptoms, not all of which manifest in every case. But if your feelings of anxiety are extreme, last longer than six months and if you experience any of the following symptoms on a regular basis, you may have an anxiety disorder.
 

Excessive Worry

The hallmark of anxiety disorder is worrying too much about everyday things, large and small. But what constitutes "too much"? In the case anxiety disorder, it means having persistent anxious thoughts on most days of the week, for six months. "The distinction between an anxiety disorder and just having normal anxiety is whether your emotions are causing a lot of suffering and dysfunction," says Sally Winston, PsyD, co-director of the Anxiety and Stress Disorder Institute of Maryland in Towson.
 

Muscle Tension

Although anxiety is a mental condition, it has a variety of physical symptoms. Muscle tension often accompanies anxiety disorders. This symptom can be so persistent and pervasive that people who have lived with it for a long time may stop noticing it after a while.


Panic

Panic attack has scary physical symptoms such as breathing problems, a pounding or racing heart, tingling or numb hands, sweating, weakness or dizziness, chest pain, stomach pain, and feeling hot or cold. People with panic disorder live in fear about when and where their next attack might happen, and they tend to avoid places where attacks have occurred in the past. Not everyone who has a panic attack has an anxiety disorder, but people who experience them repeatedly may be diagnosed with panic disorder.


Sleep Problems

Everyone needs a healthy amount of sleep to function. If you have an anxiety disorder, you may chronically find yourself lying awake, worried about specific problems (like money), or nothing in particular. Also, you may wake up feeling tired, your mind is racing, and you're unable to calm yourself down. By some estimates, half of all people with anxiety disorder experience sleep problems.


Self Consciousness

Social anxiety disorder doesn't always involve making a public speech or being the center of attention. In most cases, the anxiety is provoked by everyday situations such as eating and drinking in front of even a small number of people or attending a party. In such situations, people with social anxiety disorder tend to feel like all eyes are on them. They often experience blushing, trembling, nausea, profuse sweating, or difficulty talking. These symptoms usually make it hard to meet new people, maintain relationships, and advance at work or in school.
 

Flashbacks

Reliving a disturbing or traumatic event such as a violent encounter and the sudden death of a loved one is a hallmark of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which shares some features with anxiety disorders. (Until very recently, PTSD was seen as a type of anxiety disorder rather than a stand-alone condition.) Flashbacks may occur with different types of anxiety as well. Some research suggests that some people with social anxiety have PTSD-like flashbacks of experiences that might not seem obviously traumatic, such as being publicly ridiculed. These people may even avoid reminders of the experience.
 

Focusing Problems

It's very common for those living with anxiety to experience a disruption in their productivity at work or school, and this can have some very real-world consequences. For some, this disruption can lead to negative performance reviews or even termination or be failing out. For others, they may be able to recover but still, find themselves easily distracted or frustrated when trying to accomplish tasks.
 

Chronic indigestion

Anxiety may start in mind, but it often manifests itself in the body through physical symptoms, such as chronic digestive problems. Irritable bowel syndrome is a condition characterized by stomach aches, cramping, bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea. It is an anxiety in the digestive system. Irritable bowel syndrome isn't always related to anxiety, but the two often occur together and can make each other worse. The gut is very sensitive to psychological stress and discomfort of chronic digestive problems can make a person feel more anxious.
 

Irrational Fears

If the fear becomes overwhelming, disruptive, and way out of proportion to the actual risk involved, it's a telltale sign of phobia, a type of anxiety disorder. Although phobias can be crippling and they're not apparent at all times. In fact, they may not surface until you confront a specific situation and discover you're incapable of overcoming your fear. 
 

Perfectionism

The finicky and obsessive mindset known as perfectionism goes hand in hand with anxiety disorders. If you are constantly judging yourself or you have a lot of anticipatory anxiety about making mistakes or falling short of your standards, then you probably have an anxiety disorder.


If you have any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor about what's best for you in your fight against anxiety.