Recognizing The Anxiety Disorder Symptom

Anxiety disorder is actually not one condition, but a group of six conditions that share many similarities—not the least of which is that their cause or causes are pretty much a mystery.

The first five conditions classified as “anxiety disorders” are:

• panic attacks
• obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• phobias (for instance, agoraphobia or fear of open spaces), and
• social phobia.

Each of these has some particular distinguishing elements that set it apart and can be further categorized to have their own anxiety disorder symptoms. But some people who suffer from unusual degrees of worry or anxiety don’t fit into any of these categories. If their anxiety is severe enough to be considered an illness, they are likely to be diagnosed as suffering from “Generalized Anxiety Disorder” or GAD.

The determining factor in whether someone’s anxiety is severe enough to be called a disorder is largely a matter of degree. Everyone has anxieties—about money, relationships, job loss, their health. Anxiety is a perfectly normal response to the unavoidable demands of modern life. The person who never feels anxious is pretty abnormal, in fact.

But some people feel way too much anxiety. And most of the time their anxiety doesn’t seem to be related to any rational cause of concern. Other people do not react with the same intensity or length of concern that the person suffering from generalized anxiety disorder feels. But when you’re tense and worried, you may not have the perspective to know whether your worries are baseless or exaggerated. How can you tell if your fears are extreme enough to be considered a disorder?

Mental health specialists have assembled a checklist of the symptoms which indicate when a person’s anxiety level goes beyond what is considered normal and should be regarded as a mental health concern.

First of all, anxiety is considered to be excessive if you have these feelings almost every day for six months or longer, and if they center on more than one area of concern—you’re not just worrying about your health, but also about work, and school, and the weather, and the economy, etc.

• Secondly, you can’t turn it off. No amount of rational thinking or distraction can disrupt the nagging preoccupation for long.
• The anxiety is severe enough to interfere with your normal activities, making it hard for you to function and meet your responsibilities.
• You also have had at least three of the following physical symptoms persistently for several months:
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Difficulty concentrating or feeling mentally blank
  • Irritability
  • Extreme restlessness or jumpiness, feeling “on edge”
  • Fatigue
  • Muscular tension

Sometimes people with anxiety disorder don’t even worry about anything in particular—they just have a constant feeling that something is wrong or is going to go wrong. Relaxation becomes difficult or impossible, and a number of other physical symptoms can start to affect them—hot flashes, stomach disorders, headaches, breathlessness.

Taken to an extreme, these can lead beyond generalized anxiety into panic attack. But for many people the level of discomfort is manageable, and for the most part they get along all right from day to day. But even so, the quality and enjoyment of their lives is significantly impaired. Over time, generalized anxiety can lead to depression and substance abuse. In fact, both depression and anxiety have been linked to brain chemistry imbalances, and may be related illnesses.

In the United States alone, an estimated four million people are suffering from generalized anxiety disorder. Anxiety can be treated, however, if you are informed and know the symptoms. Particularly if you find that anxiety is making you depressed, contributing to drinking or drug problems, or causing suicidal thoughts, you should see a doctor for a thorough examination, diagnosis, and treatment. But if the checklist above fits your experience, don’t wait until you reach those extremes before seeking help.

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