How to Recognize the Symptoms of Anxiety

Feeling anxious and nervous sometimes is just part of life. A faster heartbeat and a rush of adrenaline can even help you get through tough situations. But when anxiety starts taking over your life, it becomes a disorder. And a full-fledged anxiety attack can shut you down completely. How do you differentiate between normal low-level anxiety and an anxiety issue that you should consider doing something about? Here's how to recognize some of the common symptoms of anxiety disorders.

Instructions

1. Watch for recurring physical symptoms including shortness of breath, a racing heartbeat, sweating, dizziness, diarrhea, an upset stomach, muscle ache, frequent urination, tremors, headaches, fatigue and insomnia.

2. Watch for emotional symptoms including recurring feelings of fear, worry, apprehension or dread, uneasiness, nervousness, jumpiness, impaired concentration, restlessness, hypervigilance, irritability and confusion. Children and adolesecents may exhibit behavioral problems.

3. Observe if you seem to be slowly isolating yourself from the outer world. Withdrawing physically and emotionally from social situations is a symptom of an anxiety disorder.

4. Symptoms of an anxiety attack include nausea, breathlessness, hot flashes or chills, dizziness, sweating, chest pain, numbness, headache, increased heart beat, a feeling of non-existence, or an intense, panicked feeling that you may die, go crazy or totally lose control. Four or more of these symptoms could mean that you are having an anxiety attack.

5. If you have an anxiety attack, check the duration for which the symptoms persist. Keep in mind that they will pass, no matter how horrible you feel. Normally an anxiety attack lasts 10 minutes.

6. Remember that you are not alone. Anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illness in the U.S., and the National Institute of Health estimates that it affects 40 million adults each year. Don't feel ashamed to seek help.

Tips & Warnings

• Do deep breathing exercises as soon as you start feeling anxious. Consciously slowing down your breath can calm you down.

• Regular exercise, a healthy diet, meditation, enough sleep and elimination of alcohol and caffeine can all prove helpful in managing or overcoming anxiety disorders.