Know The Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders

Occasional anxiety is a normal element of our day to day life, and in fact some anxiety can help us stay focused, get into action, and get us motivated. It’s when there is a constant anxiety, or an overwhelming anxiety, if anxiety interferes with your everyday life, then you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder.

There is no one set of symptoms for anxiety disorders. One person may have intense panic attacks for no apparent reason, while another panics only in the presence of a snake. Another may have a fear of flying, or thoughts that are uncontrollable and overwhelming. Still others may have a constant worry about nothing  specific, or everything in general.

The one consistent symptom of all anxiety disorders is an irrational, persistent feeling of worry in situations where most people would not be worried at all.

Some other common symptoms of anxiety are:

•    Irritability
•    Restlessness
•    Constantly watching for danger
•    Feeling tense, jumpy
•    Always anticipating the worst that can happen
•    Having trouble concentrating
•    Feelings of dread
•    Feelings of apprehension

There are physical symptoms as well:

•    Pounding heart
•    Tremors
•    Tense muscles
•    Headaches
•    Insomnia
•    Sweating
•    Pounding heart
•    Upset stomach
•    Dizziness
•    Shortness of breath

The Six Types of Anxiety Disorders

There are six types of anxiety disorders. I’ve listed them here, with their most common symptoms.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Common symptoms consist of constant concern that distracts you from normal day-to-day activities, thinking that something bad is going to happen. Physical manifestations include insomnia, upset stomach, constantly tired and restlessness. People with GAD feel anxious most of the time, and may be called a “worrywart” by people who know them.

Obsessive-compulsive Disorder

OCD symptoms include uncontrollable repetitive behaviors and thoughts. People with OCD obsess about things like whether they turned off the stove, or they may have behaviors such as constantly washing their hands.

Panic Disorder

Panic disorders are expressed by repeated and unexpected panic attacks, and also a fear of experiencing another panic attack. People who have this type of disorder may also have agoraphobia (afraid of being in places where it’s hard to escape). People with agoraphobia generally avoid public places.

Phobias

A phobia is an exaggerated or unrealistic fear of specific objects, activities or situations, one’s that really are low or no danger at all. Some common phobias include fear of flying, heights, spiders and snakes.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Traumatic or life-threatening experiences can cause PTSD. The symptoms include nightmares or flashbacks of the event, being super vigilant, withdrawing from others, being easily startled, and avoiding situations that remind you of that event.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Having a fear of humiliation, in public can lead to a social phobia, or social anxiety disorder. Having a fear of being thought of negatively by others is also a symptom of this disorder. You could think of this as extreme shyness. Performance anxiety, or stage fright, is a common type of social phobia.

Anxiety Disorders in Children

Children may have additional symptoms leading to anxiety disorder. These include:

Excessive worry about school grades or school sports activities
Worry about being on time
Concerns about catastrophic events such as nuclear war
Anxiety about fitting in with classmates and friends
Have perfectionist tendencies
Lack confidence
Need constant approval
Need excess reassurance about their performance

Your Doctors’ Criteria for Anxiety Disorder Diagnosis

Listed below is the criteria from the DSM-IV TR that doctors use to diagnose anxiety disorders.

A. Excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation), occurring more days than not for a period of at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities (such as work or school performance).
B. The person finds it difficult to control the worry.
C. The anxiety and worry are associated with three (or more) of the following six symptoms (with at least some symptoms present for more days than not for the past 6 months). Note: Only one item is required in children.
1. restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge
2. being easily fatigued
3. difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
4. irritability
5. muscle tension
6. sleep disturbances (difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless unsatisfying sleep)
D. The focus of the anxiety and worry is not confined to features of an Axis I disorder, e.g., the anxiety or worry is not about having a Panic Attack (as in Panic Disorder), being embarrassed in public (as in Social Phobia), being contaminated (as in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), gaining weight (as in Anorexia Nervosa), having multiple physical complaints (as in Somatization Disorder), or having a serious illness (as in Hypochondriasis), and the anxiety and worry do not occur exclusively during Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
E. The anxiety, worry, or physical symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
F. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism) and does not occur exclusively during a Mood Disorder, a Psychotic Disorder, or a Pervasive Developmental Disorder.