What are the Symptoms of Anxiety?

The symptoms of anxiety are both physical and emotional. Not all people experience the same symptoms nor do they experience them to the same degree. The way YOU experience anxiety is based on many factors including your resilience, upbringing, genetics and other variables.

The symptoms of anxiety are the result of stress. Stress is difficult to define and people use different terms for stress. These included distressed, tense, overwhelmed, stress-out, nervousness, anxious, worried.... and the list goes on.

Common physical symptoms of anxiety include rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, sweaty palms (sometimes cold, clammy palms), increased blood pressure, flush/warm feeling, tingling in various parts of the body, headache, trembling (often the hands, knees or legs), tense muscles (often the neck, shoulders, lower back or abdominal area), stomach distress (feeling 'butterflies' or nausea), feeling faint. Again, not everyone will experience all of these symptoms.

Common emotional symptoms of anxiety include feeling of dread or gloom, excessive worry especially over things that you can't control, difficulty concentrating or staying on task, feeling of fear or sudden sensation of panic, replaying in your mind (ruminating thoughts) of negative events of experiences well after they've occurred. In severe situations, thoughts of death or suicide. Again, not everyone will experience all of these symptoms.

NOTE: Many medical conditions can cause some of the symptoms listed above. For example, some heart ailments and thyroid problems. A medical exam is a good idea to rule out an underlying medical problem.

If your anxiety is at a level that takes away from the quality of your life, there are many drug-free ways to manage it, especially if it's mild to moderate anxiety. (Severe anxiety can indicate a need for medication.) The Neuro Immersion Method is one way to help yourself manage anxiety.

To learn more about the symptoms of anxiety, please visit the Fear Phobia Anxiety blog