Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder

By Funmi Salami

In most cases, people suffering from Anxiety do not think they have a problem, only that they have a minor character flaw.

Unfortunately, people who suffer from anxiety are labeled as 'moody' or 'paranoid.' Anxiety sufferers have difficulty reacting appropriately to stressful situations and are most often depicted as blowing things out of proportion.

Psychological Symptoms

Anxiety is defined as having overwhelming thoughts of fear and worries that continue for six months or longer. There are many other symptoms connected with anxiety disorders and these often vary from person to person depending on the type and severity of the disorder.

A person with an anxiety disorder will likely be impatient (even short-tempered) and irritable. Such a person may also be restless, have trouble concentrating, or have a tendency to leave tasks and goals uncompleted. They may be forgetful, absent-minded, and easily confused. They often have trouble expressing their thoughts coherently. Sometimes an anxious person will feel as if their mind has gone blank.

The body of a person suffering from anxiety is in a constant state of alertness. They are always looking out for danger and tend to anticipate the worst scenarios. Oftentimes, people who are around an anxiety sufferer will see this person as pessimistic.

Agoraphobia or fear of public places is commonly found in those with anxiety combined with obsessive compulsive disorder. This mental disorder is generally not always seen, however it is usually present in most cases just to a lesser degree.

Some anxiety sufferers may also be afflicted with depression and hallucinations. This general occurs in those with severe anxiety and can often lead to thoughts of suicide.

Excessive thoughts of worry, fear, irrationality and negative feelings are persistent in those suffering from anxiety.

Physical Symptoms

Not only is anxiety psychological, it can also affect the body physically. Often times the symptoms make it difficult to function in everyday life.

Physical symptoms include rapid heartbeat, dizziness, headaches and high blood pressure. In addition, sufferers may experience the inability to inhale a deep breath often leading to frequent spells of hyperventilation. The body can also suffer fatigue, insomnia and hyperactivity.

Since a person with anxiety has excess adrenaline, the body can experience muscle tension and body aches/ In addition, the excess adrenaline also accounts for the alteration in moods.

And when the mind spends so much time in a state of worry, other bodily functions are compromised. This leads to a loss of appetite or nausea, diarrhea, or frequent urination, and constantly being thirsty. Many anxiety sufferers even complain about a reduced sex drive.

Other Anxiety Symptoms

Everyones symptoms are not the same. Some anxiety sufferers experience symptoms that are the exact opposite of the ones mentioned earlier. These symptoms are often brought to fruition by extreme levels of anxiety such as someone suffering from SAD finding themselves in the middle of a group of strangers.

One of these symptoms includes excessively low blood pressure which does not allow oxygen or nutrients to reach the brain.

Another symptom reported during high levels of anxiety is a heightened degree of sex drive.

Many people report having food cravings during heightened anxiety. Most often, the craving is sugar. This could be a result of decreased blood pressure during a high level anxiety episode. - 29957

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