Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder - Typical Signs

What are the signs and symptoms of anxiety disorder?

"Anxiety disorder" is generally used as a blanket term in the DSM-IV for any number of disorders classified as arising from fear or anxiety.

Recent surveys suggest that as much as 18% of the population suffers from some type of anxiety disorder, a fact that provides further evidence for the need to learn the symptoms of an anxiety disorder. The ability and knowledge to recognize the behaviors and experiences that accompany an anxiety disorder is an integral part of effectively dealing with the issue.

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder - Generalized Anxiety Disorder

There are a number of issues that fall under the anxiety category in terms of disorders, but one of the most common ones is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Furthermore, its symptoms mimic those of other disorders associated with anxiety, so it can be a useful reference point in recognizing the symptoms of anxiety disorders as a whole. Some symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder are:

• Feeling a pervasive sense of restlessness
• Impatience
• Irritability
• Being easily distracted or unable to focus / concentrate
• Fatigue
• Feeling a lump in your throat
• Feeling "keyed up" or "on edge"
• Muscle tension
• Trouble falling or staying asleep
• Shortness of breath
• Excessive sweating
• Stomachache
• Diarrhea
• Headache

As the name suggests, generalized anxiety disorder is marked by a general sense of anxiety, but it is important to note that those who suffer from the disorder still experience times when their worries are not entirely consuming. If you have trouble recalling the last time you felt completely relaxed or at ease, then an evaluation for this disorder may be the most appropriate next step.

Other Disorders and Conditions

There are a few other disorders that are encompassed by the "anxiety disorder" category. Another common anxiety disorder is panic disorder, which is primarily characterized by panic attacks that cannot be explained by another disorder.

Panic attacks are brief episodes of intense fear or panic, that are generally accompanied by significant physiological symptoms and a sense that one is "losing control" or "going crazy."

Phobias are a large facet of the anxiety disorder categorization. A phobia is the presence of a fear or anxiety surrounding a specific stimulus or situation. Generally, sufferers have a notion of a terrifying result upon encountering the object of their phobia, and will go to great lengths to avoid it.

Phobias can be centered around anything from the fear of embarrassing oneself to the fear of bodily fluid, and the symptoms of anxiety disorder of this type can indeed be quite bizarre.

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a specific instance of a phobia; that is, it is a social phobia marked by the fear of public embarrassment or humiliation. The major observable symptom of this disorder is a person’s desire for social isolation, and the problematic nature of such a thing makes treatment particularly imperative.

Other anxiety disorders include separation anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Generally speaking, the symptoms of anxiety disorders are similar regardless of the specific disorder to which they pertain, and recognizing these symptoms of anxiety disorders in oneself or another is quite important to developing a more healthy way of living.

Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder

There is a great deal of comorbidity with anxiety disorders, so it is essential to have a thorough evaluation by a healthcare professional. Although it is not uncommon for someone to display symptoms of multiple disorders at one time, anxiety disorders in particular have very distinct symptoms, as they are often physiological as well as psychological. It is this fact that makes it especially important for people with anxiety disorders to seek treatment, as failure to do so may have rather serious effects upon their health.

Although there are many anxiety disorders, recognizing the general symptoms of anxiety is enough to indicate the need for an evaluation on the possible presence of one. There are many ways to deal with anxiety, both in terms of medicine and behavioral treatments, and often people with anxiety write it off as an aspect of their personality, when in fact it may be having more detrimental effects than they realize.

Having read about the symptoms of anxiety disorder, you may wish to learn more about anxiety treatment by also reading the other related pages and articles.

Read More: More on Anxiety | Natural Health Remedies for Various Ailments and Conditions | Home Page | Site Search

Click here to learn about a natural technique to help stop panic attacks and general anxiety… fast.

Click here for natural, herbal and homeopathic remedies for anxiety.

	Get Quality Natural Health Supplements at Reasonable Prices. $5 or $10 discount for new customers
Get natural, herbal and homeopathic remedies for hundreds of health conditions and ailments. GO.

New! Comments

Have your say about what you just read. Leave a comment in the box below.

Some Related Anxiety Pages

Click here for more pages and articles on Anxiety.