Symptoms Of Anxiety Disorders

By Author: Thomas Strickland
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People are different and so are the symptoms of any condition including anxiety disorders. However, there's a general set of signs that can help you learn about the problem, and the following symptoms will make it easier for you to identify anxiety problems.

The feeling of fear and anxiety are nothing strange for most of us, as we all experience anxiety from time to time. Writing an important exam, going to a serious business meeting or attending a job interview - these are just examples of situations where most people experience anxiety. And you certainly remember the emotions and sensations that you go through at moments like these. It's perfectly normal to experience such things when the circumstances are stimulating such a respond. But things go wrong when anxiety appears for no apparent reason.

Healthcare professionals do not deal with everyday anxiety, but focus on what is known as anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders describe general abnormality in the occurrence of anxiety signs when there is no evident reason for this to happen. Moreover, with anxiety disorders the feelings of dread and fear can be more ...
... intense and uncontrollable, taking place much more often than normally. If the condition progresses it can impede the normal activity of an individual and requires immediate treatment.

Anxiety disorders are usually connected with the mechanisms triggering the so called flight or fight response. It is an old physiological mechanism developed during evolution that puts the body into a special mode when there's a direct or indirect threat to one's well-being (potential harm, risk of failure, potential humiliation, etc.) This mechanism didn't change much as the civilization developed, only it began to be triggered by circumstance other than our ancient ancestors faced during their lives. However, when an anxiety disorder develops, this response gets triggered by quite odd circumstances that normally don't pose any threat at all.

According to the actual situations that trigger this mechanism, doctors distinguish different types of anxiety disorders such as panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, specific phobia, separation anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, agoraphobia, and selective mutism.

The circumstances in which the anxiety is manifested differ from one type of disorder to another, but in general the symptoms are the same:

discomfort in the stomach
diarrhea
dry mouth
increased heart rate or palpitations
chest discomfort
troubled breathing
dizziness
abnormal urination
difficulty swallowing

Psychological symptoms that are usually linked to anxiety disorders include:

sleep disorders
irritability
concentration problems
fear of going crazy or dying
feeling surreal and inability to control own behavior

Such symptoms can be a serious sign of an anxiety disorder and require adequate treatment. Drugs like Valium can relieve the symptoms and decrease the frequency and intensity of anxiety attacks. However, you should first discuss the use of Valium or any other prescription medications with your doctor.

Anxiety attacks are treatable, so you don't have to worry about it much. Of course, experiencing anxiety attacks is not very pleasant, but if you go to your doctor and run a course of treatment, these anxiety problems can simply turn into unpleasant memories you have.