Anxiety Symptoms

Do you feel nervous in certain situations, but can’t put your finger on why you are sweating, jittery and have a racing heart?  If this describes you, you may be experiencing some anxiety symptoms.  Everybody has anxiety symptoms some time in their life, and they usually appear during stressful situations and then disappear when the stressor is gone.  In fact, anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem in the United States, with about one in five adults suffering from one form of anxiety symptoms or another.

Those suffering from anxiety symptoms often find that their heart is beating fast and they are sweating even though the room is pretty cool.  They may also be feeling like the room is getting smaller or moving, and may have the need to sit down suddenly.  Other anxiety symptoms include nausea, shaking or trembling, hot and cold flashes, feeling like you are not in control of your body, the inability to focus on anything, chest pain or pressure and problems taking deep breaths.

There are several different anxiety disorders, and most of these different disorders produce similar anxiety symptoms.  Over 5 million people in the United States suffer from social anxiety disorder.  Those suffering from social anxiety disorder are afraid of social situations, often clamming up before making a phone call or refusing to interact with people.  These sufferers are imprisoning themselves to avoid the anxiety symptoms that come along with social interactions.  Other types of anxiety disorders are phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, performance anxiety disorder (stage fright) and panic attacks.  Women are typically more likely to suffer from anxiety symptoms, and for some anxiety disorders, they may be twice as likely to suffer attacks as their male counterparts.

One important thing to realize about anxiety symptoms is that everyone responds to them differently, and they may range from mild to strong, depending on the situation. There are three main treatments for anxiety symptoms: therapy, medication and herbal remedies.  There are obvious and not-so-obvious advantages and disadvantages to each of these three treatments.

The origins of anxiety begin in our body.  Anxiety symptoms in mild forms are good for our bodies, because they make us more alert in dangerous situations.  Our nervous system and our brain perceive danger and work together to get our body ready to do battle or run away (“fight or flight”).

Anxiety is the most common mental disorder in the United States, affecting about 40 million Americans.  Those suffering from anxiety symptoms know how much it can disrupt their lives, but treatment and therapy can decrease anxiety symptoms for many.