What are the symptoms of anxiety disorder?

The physical effects of anxiety may include heart palpitations, tachycardia, muscle weakness and tension, fatigue, nausea, chest pain, shortness of breath, stomach aches, or headaches. As the body prepares to deal with a threat, blood pressure, heart rate, perspiration, blood flow to the major muscle groups are increased, while immune and digestive functions are inhibited (the fight or flight response). External signs of anxiety may include pallor, sweating, trembling, and pupillary dilation. Someone who has anxiety might also experience it subjectively as a sense of dread or panic. Although panic attacks are not experienced by every person who has anxiety, they are a common symptom. Panic attacks usually come without warning and although the fear is generally irrational, the subjective perception of danger is very real. A person experiencing a panic attack will often feel as if he or she is about to die or lose consciousness. Between panic attacks, people with panic disorder tend to suffer from anticipated anxiety- a fear of having a panic attack may lead to the development of phobias. The emotional effects of anxiety may include "feelings of apprehension or dread, trouble concentrating, feeling tense or jumpy, anticipating the worst, irritability, restlessness, watching (and waiting) for signs (and occurrences) of danger, and, feeling like your mind's gone blank" as well as "nightmares/bad dreams, obsessions about sensations, deja vu, a trapped in your mind feeling, and feeling like everything is scary." The cognitive effects of anxiety may include thoughts about suspected dangers, such as fear of dying. "You may... fear that the chest pains are a deadly heart attack or that the shooting pains in your head are the result of a tumor or aneurysm. You feel an intense fear when you think of dying, or you may think of it more often than normal, or can’t get it out of your mind." The behavioral effects of anxiety may include withdrawal from situations which have provoked anxiety in the past. Anxiety can also be experienced in ways which include changes in sleeping patterns, nervous habits such as biting fingernails, and increased motor tension like foot tapping.

Before I say anything about symptoms, I first want to point out that the heart of an anxiety disorder is an exaggerated or unrealistic fear. It might be about the present - someone having a panic attack feels as though they are in immediate danger of dying or losing control. It might also be about the future - someone with Generalized Anxiety Disorder worries about bad things that might happen in the future. The symptoms occur even though the person is not in any particular danger, but feels as though he/she is. This is what I call the Anxiety Trick. There are four types of symptoms: thoughts; physical sensations; emotions; and behaviors. For a discussion of the specific symptoms in each of these categories, have a look at: http://www.anxietycoach.com/anxietysymptoms.html I hope that's helpful.

Shortness of breath

Before I say anything about symptoms, I first want to point out that the heart of an anxiety disorder is an exaggerated or unrealistic fear. It might be about the present - someone having a panic attack feels as though they are in immediate danger of dying or losing control. It might also be about the future - someone with Generalized Anxiety Disorder worries about bad things that might happen in the future. The symptoms occur even though the person is not in any particular danger, but feels as though he/she is. This is what I call the Anxiety Trick. There are four types of symptoms: thoughts; physical sensations; emotions; and behaviors. For a discussion of the specific symptoms in each of these categories, have a look at: http://www.anxietycoach.com/anxietysymptoms.html I hope that's helpful.

Shortness of breath