Feeling anxious or nervous is a very common emotion people experience on a regular basis. When we are faced with doing something that is outside of our comfort zone like speaking in front of a large crowd or going through financial hardships, overthinking every little thing about that is not uncommon for most people. However, when anxious feelings are ongoing and become so frequent that normal day-to-day functions cannot be performed, you need to determine if the nervous feelings have turned into a disorder.
How can you tell if the anxiety you suffer from everyday is a clinical disorder? It’s not easy, and there isn’t a straightforward answer. Anxiety comes in many different forms, and distinguishing between “normal” anxiety and a diagnosis from a doctor is not always transparent. In today’s article, Skills To Change wants to discuss common symptoms that is associated with anxiety so you have a better understanding in order to make the best decision for yourself.
The broadest form of anxiety is GAD—Generalized Anxiety Disorder. One of the biggest symptoms of GAD is excessive and constant worrying. Not just worrying about the weather, or a loved one’s health condition, but worrying about every little detail throughout the day. Anxiety sufferers will persistently have anxious thoughts every day of the week for an extended amount of time. Generally, the worrying and anxious thoughts will get to be so severe that it eventually interrupts everyday life.
Just because you have trouble falling asleep doesn’t automatically equate to having an anxiety disorder. It is relatively common for most people to have sleep issues when they are under pressure at work or anticipating a big event. However, if you have a trouble sleeping night after night, thinking about the same thing over and over, or even nothing at all—this could be a sign of an anxiety disorder. People who suffer from anxiety will also report waking up with a racing mind and unable to calm themselves down.
Constant muscle tension like clenching your jaw, fists, and flexes muscles throughout your body unintentionally accompanies anxiety disorders. People who have suffered from anxiety for a long time without knowing it, may not even notice the muscle tension. Exercising on a regular basis will alleviate the muscle tension as well as relieve anxious and nervous feelings. If there is an unforeseen event or lifestyle change that interrupts this routine, the individual may become irritable and restless.
Although anxiety may affect the mind primarily, the rest of the body does take a toll. Holding on to too much anxiety can ultimately manifest itself into physical conditions. A common ailment is chronic digestive problems. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is often associated with anxiety resulting in stomach cramps, diarrhea, bloating, gas, and stomach aches. Basically, the anxiety that people are suffering from in their minds is also taking place in the digestive tract. IBS is common symptom of anxiety, but not every anxiety sufferer will have IBS. When the two issues are combined, they can make each other worse. The digestive system is extremely sensitive to psychological stress, and vice versa. The personal and social discomfort of IBS will feed the anxiety even more causing the individual more issues.
Social environments presents a big opportunity for anxiety. This is commonly referred to as social anxiety disorder. People will feel self conscious about speaking in front of a group, nervous to talk to people one-on-one and feel afraid to eat or drink in front of people. Social anxiety will cause people to have trouble speaking correctly, begin sweating, blush, tremble, and even feel nauseous. Suffering from these symptoms make it difficult for people to build and maintain relationships, meet new people, and even advance at work or school.
Panic attacks are scary. They are a sudden onset of worry, fear, and helplessness that last for several minutes, sometimes longer. Panic attacks are accompanied by physical symptoms like trouble breathing, weakness, dizziness, accelerated heart rate, chest pain, and other discomforting feelings. Panic attacks are common for anyone that is under a lot of stress, even if they do not suffer from anxiety, but consistent and repeated panic attacks are often diagnosed with an anxiety or panic disorder. It is important to speak with your doctor if this is an issue you are dealing with regularly.
Obsessive behaviors, overthinking, and overanalyzing can be another issue associated with anxiety. Commonly known as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), a person’s obsessive and intrusive mentality is accompanied with repetitive and compulsive actions. Fidgeting and adjusting things to be in a straight order and obsessing over it if it’s not can be an indication of OCD.
Suffering from an anxiety disorder doesn’t have to take over your life. If you have been recently diagnosed or feel that you can relate to a lot of what this article stated, then we suggest contacting your doctor to begin the discussion. If you have been suffering from anxiety and still battle to find an effective solution to relieve yourself of these unbearable issues, then you have come to the right place. Skills To Change has a team of professionals that are dedicated to helping people like you. Visit our site to learn more about our personal development training and receive the anxiety help you have been looking for online Don’t live in a constant state of worry, stress, fear, and self doubt anymore!