Signs & Symptoms of Anxiety and How It Affects You
Anxiety is a common condition that many people will experience throughout their lifetime. It's the feeling of being on edge or nervous towards or about certain people, places, and events.
Fatigue, muscle aches and pains, irritability, excessive worry, panic, and fear.
These are just a few of the most common and known anxiety symptoms.
Let's learn more about the other signs and symptoms of anxiety and how it can affect someone and their life.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is actually a pretty common emotion. It's known as the feeling that one has when one feels stressed or fearful about certain situations or events. Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time, just like any other emotion. People living with an anxiety disorder will deal with anxiety regularly. The feeling of anxiety and fear can have a negative impact on someone's daily life and routine.
The Signs and Symptoms
These are some of the most common signs and symptoms of anxiety:
Avoidance
Difficulty sleeping
Digestive issues
Exhaustion
Feeling weak
Hyperventilation
Increased heart rate
Lack of concentration
Nervousness
Panic
Restlessness
Sweating
Tense
Trembling or shaking
How Anxiety Can Affect You
While anxiety is a normal and common feeling that most people will experience occasionally, the signs and symptoms can differ between individuals. There are many different signs and symptoms of anxiety. You may experience a combination of a few of them or different signs or symptoms depending on the cause of the anxiety or other factors going on in your life. Let's dive deeper into the signs and symptoms and the effects of anxiety on you, your body, and your brain.
Physical Effects of Anxiety
Anxiety comes with a lot of physical effects. These are some of the most common:
Back pain
Butterflies in your stomach
Dizziness
Grinding your teeth
Headaches
Hot flashes
Inability to sit still
Increased heart rate
Lightheaded
Low libido
Nausea
Panic attacks
Quickened breathing
Sleeping problems
Stomach problems
Sweating
Emotional Effects of Anxiety
Additionally, anxiety also causes someone to experience many emotional symptoms. These are some of the most common emotional effects of anxiety:
Depression
Dissociating
Fearing the worst
Feeling like the world is in slow motion or fast-forward mode
Inability to relax
Low mood
Nervousness
Preparing for any potential panic attacks
Ruminating
Seeking reassurance
Tense
Unable to control or manage your feelings of worry
Worried others can sense that you're anxious and are judging you
Other Effects of Anxiety
Anxiety doesn't just stop at impacting your body and brain. It also can have a negative impact on your daily life and routine. Anxiety can affect the way you take care of yourself, including a change in eating habits. It may cause someone to binge on foods. For others, they may forget to eat or not feel hungry. Sleeping habits can also be impacted. Some individuals won't be able to fall asleep or stay asleep during the night. Others may spend the majority of their day in their room, in bed, or sleeping. Anxiety can also impact your career, relationships, and even your personal time.
Next Steps
If you're struggling with anxiety, you're not alone. Your anxiety may be making you feel like you're alone and no one understands, but that's certainly not the case. One of the best and strongest things you can do for yourself is reach out for help. You're not expected to handle everything all on your own. Working with a licensed and trained mental health professional may be exactly what you need to take back control of your life again. Reach out today to set up a consultation for anxiety therapy.