Anxiety Disorders Symptoms

It's normal to experience anxiety and fear from time moment. If these feelings are constant and disrupt your daily life, then you might have an anxiety disorder.

A healthcare professional can help you in finding a treatment that is compatible with your symptoms. This can include anti-anxiety medication, psychotherapy or natural remedies like exercise, a healthy diet and sleep.

1. Worry and Fear

Everyone experiences feelings of anxiety and fear from time time. It's a natural part of our body's "fight-or-flight" response to danger. But if the feeling is severe, doesn't disappear and is a hindrance to your daily activities, you may have an anxiety disorder. Your doctor can diagnose anxiety disorders by having a discussion with you, a physical examination as well as urine or blood tests, and questions about your health history. You could also be given questionnaires to fill in to help your doctor determine whether you have a particular anxiety disorder.

The different types of anxiety disorders have distinct symptoms. People suffering from generalized anxiety disorder, for example are constantly worried and irrationally about everyday events even though there is no threat to their lives. They also have trouble getting comfortable or falling asleep. Other signs include a fast or racing heart (heart pounding), trembling, and sweating. People with panic disorders have frequent moments of intense terror or fear, which reach a peak within minutes. They also have trouble managing their emotions. They tend to avoid certain activities or places to prevent these attacks from occurring.

People who have phobias are afraid of certain things like snakes or flying. They may also have other symptoms, too such as breathing difficulties or headaches. People suffering from PTSD are anxious when they witness or experience traumatizing events like a war or car crash. They may experience other symptoms too, like nightmares and flashbacks of the traumatizing incident.

Other anxiety disorders include ocd (obsessive compulsive disorder) as well as hoarding disorder and social anxiety disorder. These disorders make you feel anxious when in social situations. There's also anxiety related to a specific health problem, called illness anxiety disorder (formerly known as hypochondria). Other causes of anxiety are stress and an imbalance of chemicals in your brain. Sometimes, anxiety can be a side effect of some medications.

2. Panic Attacks

People with anxiety disorders are prone to experiencing recurring sensations of fear and panic that are out of proportion to their circumstances. These feelings can cause severe physical reactions like rapid heart rate, breathing problems, and nausea. They may cause you to feel unreal or detached from reality.

Although anyone can experience a panic disorder however, it is more common to experience it in adolescence, childhood or in the early years of adulthood. There are many factors that can trigger it, such as prolonged or severe stress that causes chemical imbalances in your nervous system and brain. A severe trauma, particularly in the adolescent years can also increase the risk of developing anxiety disorders resources disorders.

Panic attacks can occur without reason or in response to a particular situation that makes you afraid like being in a large crowd. They differ from normal anxiety symptoms because they are more intense and are usually unexpected. Individuals with anxiety disorder behaviors disorders may also experience a mixture of panic attacks that are unanticipated and anticipated attacks.

The most popular treatments for anxiety and panic attacks include medication and talking therapies. Talking therapies can help you manage your anxiety and help you eliminate the negative thoughts that fuel your anxiety. They can teach you relaxation exercises such as mindfulness and deep breathing. Certain medications, particularly SSRIs (such as Prozac and Paxil) and SNRIs (such as duloxetine and venlafaxine) can help to make your anxiety and panic less intense.

It is crucial to see your doctor right away if you experience recurrent panic attacks. Your doctor will determine if you have other health conditions with similar symptoms, and may suggest alternative treatment options.

3. Insomnia

If people are stressed they may have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. This is known as insomnia. It could be a short-term issue or a long-term. Insomnia can make it difficult to get through the day and may cause serious health problems. It is more prevalent in women than men and is more common in older adults. It is more common in people with psychiatric conditions.

Many different things can cause insomnia. Temporary illnesses like colds or headaches, as well as chronic illnesses like arthritis, acid reflux or Parkinson's disease, and medications can affect your sleep. Stressful life circumstances can also cause it. About half of those with chronic insomnia suffer from a mental illness, the most common being anxiety or depression.

The first thing doctors will do is to look for physical causes of the issue. They will check your medical history and inquire about the symptoms that are making it difficult to sleep. They will also inquire if you are taking any medication that might affect your sleep. They could also conduct a sleep study to observe your breathing and heart rate during the night.

Behavioral therapy is the most effective treatment for insomnia. It helps you change the negative thought patterns that are keeping you awake. It also teaches you ways to relax before bed. There are a variety of techniques to aid in relaxation, such as progressive muscle relaxation meditation, biofeedback, and biofeedback. Your doctor can help you find a therapist to teach you the methods. If behavioral therapy does not work then you can try a variety of drugs to help you sleep better. They include benzodiazepines, which can be used for short-term symptom relief as well as antidepressant or antianxiety medications.

4. Eating Disorders

Eating disorders involve preoccupations with weight, body shape and food, as well as eating habits like restricting eating, binge eating, purging (through vomiting or misuse of laxatives) and compulsive exercise. Many people who have an eating disorder also suffer from anxiety as do those who have a co-occurring mental illness such as depression or bipolar disorder. Combined, the two conditions can create a vicious cycle where a person's mood problems increase the symptoms of their eating disorder.

There is a strong association between anxiety and eating disorders, with more anxiety-related symptoms being linked to greater severity of the disorder. In fact the person suffering from anorexia nervosa tends to endorse excessive levels of anxiety symptoms, and the same is true for those with an eating disorder called bulimia, also known as binge eating disorder. In some cases anxiety can be the main reason behind an eating disorder. In other cases, it could be an additional manifestation of an eating disorder.

In one study, researchers discovered that depression and anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with more severe symptomatology of eating disorders among young females. The research team used a 4-item measure called the Patient Health Questionnaire-4, which measures depression and anxiety symptoms. They also measured the severity of an individual's eating disorder and asked participants to rate their coping strategies for anxiety.

The authors also examined three factors that could help explain the relationship between anxiety and eating disorders: self-esteem, perfectionism and mood dysregulation. They found that these three factors affected the relationship between depression and anxiety symptoms and symptomatology of eating disorders and did this in different ways for different subgroups of the sample. They hope that their findings will enable more precise and specific treatment for eating disorders.

5. Anxiety-related physical conditions that can be linked to anxiety

Most people have feelings of anxiety at one point in time, but it becomes a problem when it's extreme and causes problems with daily living. Some people also have specific physical symptoms, like chest pain or stomach upset according to the type of anxiety they suffer from.

The best treatment can help people lead healthier and happier lives. Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, can help many people. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a very common type. CBT helps you recognize and alter negative thoughts that trigger anxiety and anxiety. It also helps you face your fears and take small steps to overcome them.

Medication can be helpful. Benzodiazepines like diazepam and Valium can help ease anxiety or panic attacks. Antidepressants like SSRIs and tricyclic antidepressants may also be prescribed. These medications increase levels of certain brain chemicals that regulate mood, and they can be used alone or together with other treatments to treat anxiety disorders.

Certain medical conditions can trigger anxiety and can cause physical symptoms as those of an anxiety disorder. Head trauma can cause anxiety and depression for instance. Other conditions that can trigger anxiety include chronic fatigue and pain and rheumatologic conditions like lupus and a variety of nutritional deficiencies, like iron deficiency.

Certain factors increase the chance of developing an anxiety disorder. These are known as risk factors. Certain risk factors are genetic, for example, a family history or anxiety disorder social disorders. Other factors like childhood abuse, depression or other mental disorders, and an accumulation of stress for a long time can increase the risk of suffering from anxiety disorders. If you suspect you have anxiety issues it is crucial to have an examination for physical health.