How to know if you have anxiety disorder?

Anxiety is a commonly experienced emotion that can happen to anyone, anytime. It can happen before making a speech in front of a lot of people, it can occur when there are profession related problems, it can happen when a loved one is in trouble of some nature and it will obviously and understandably occur when there is a threat to a person’s physical health. But for some others, anxiety might reach to such highs that they could no longer function normally. The anxiety can be so frequent and so forceful, that the affected individual cannot peacefully and happily live his or her life. Figuring out if a person has normal levels of anxiety or if the anxiety has transformed into a disorder is something that the sufferer themselves might not always be able to recognize. Identifying the signs and symptoms is the first step towards acknowledging the problem and figuring out ways to overcome.

Some frequently seen symptoms of anxiety disorder

Anxiety disorders are of various kinds and so the signs and symptoms will vary with the kind as well, but some commonly seen symptoms in almost all sorts of anxiety disorders are

  • Breathing problems, especially shortness of breath and on occasions, an increase in the frequency of the inhales and exhales is also observed.
  • Sleep deprivation or Insomnia can trouble a person with anxiety disorder, with their excessive fears and worries preventing them from resting peacefully. Sleep problems can bring with it a plethora of other health problems like depression and stress, which can, in turn, lead to an increase in anxiety turning this into a vicious circle.
  • Heart palpitations, with the sufferers able to feel their heart rate going up and sometimes, even skipping a beat. A feeling of heaviness in the chest and at times pain can also be felt as a result.
  • Those affected by the disorder can appear restless all the time with constant and jittery movement also seen in them. A feeling that some disastrous event might happen any time might make them always appear uneasy and discomforted. Stillness and calmness are seldom observed in these affected individuals.
  • A tingling feeling can be felt in the palms, hands and ankles and numbness can also be felt in the shoulder and the limbs.
  • Tightening of the muscles and severe tension is also experienced as a result of excessive anxiety.
  • Dizziness, dry mouth as experienced during severe fever and nausea might also be felt by the sufferers.

Misunderstanding of the symptoms

Those having panic attacks can exhibit other signs and symptoms as well such as a sense of being choked, severe trembling of the body, chills, hot flushes, excessive perspiration, and overwhelming fear. Some signs and symptoms might be similar to other serious problems which might prompt the sufferers to seek the wrong treatment. For example a change in the heart rate, heaviness in the chest along with pain and more than usual sweating can make an individual think he or she is having a heart attack when it can actually be due to anxiety disorder.

Our Editorial Staff

Dr. Carlo CarandangDr.Carlo Carandand, MD

All the articles are medically reviewed by Dr. Carlo Carandand. He has been working as psychiatrist for thr past 21 years. Dr. Carandang has 34 publications and 6 research grants in the areas of anxiety, depression, psychosis, and psychopharmacology. He works as editorial staff for various medical online websites.