Anxiety Symptoms

• Panic disorder: recurrent episodes of panic attacks, worry about having an attack, about what it means, or changing the way one behaves because of the panic attacks for at least a month. Panic attacks are separate and intense periods of fear or feelings of doom developing over a very short time frame-10 minutes-and they're associated with at least four of the following:
  
  
  • Palpitations
    
    
  • Sweating
    
    
  • Trembling
    
    
  • Shortness of breath
    
    
  • Sense of choking
    
    
  • Chest pain
    
    
  • Nausea or other stomach upset
    
    
  • Dizziness
    
    
  • A feeling of being detached from the world (derealization)
    
    
  • Being unable to think, feeling as if the mind has gone blank
    
    
  • Fear of dying
    
    
  • Numbness or tingling
    
    
  • Chills or hot flashes

• Generalized anxiety disorder: excessive, unrealistic, and difficult to control worry over a period of at least six months. It's associated with three of the following:
  
  
  • Restlessness
    
    
  • Easily tired
    
    
  • Trouble concentrating
    
    
  • Irritability
    
    
  • Muscle tension
    
    
  • Sleep problems

• Phobic disorders: intense, persistent, and recurring fear of certain objects (such as snakes, spiders, or blood) or situations (such as heights, speaking in front of a group, or public places). These exposures may trigger a panic attack.

• Stress disorders: anxiety (also known as post-traumatic stress disorder) caused by the exposure to either death or near-death circumstances such as fires, floods, earthquakes, shootings, automobile accidents, or wars, for example. Other traumatic events may not have had the threat of death or near-death but resulted in the severe injury or threat thereof. Examples of such trauma include victimization through physical or sexual abuse, witnessing the abuse of another or over-xposure to inappropriate material (for example, exposure of children to pornographic images or acts). The traumatic event is re-experienced in thoughts and dreams. Common behaviors include the following:
  
  
  • Re-experiencing the trauma, either when awake (flashbacks) or when asleep (nightmares)
    
    
  • Avoiding activities, places, or people associated with the triggering event
    
    
  • Difficulty concentrating
    
    
  • Difficulty sleeping
    
    
  • Being hypervigilant (you closely watch your surroundings)
    
    
  • Feeling a general sense of depression, irritability, doom and gloom with diminished emotions such as loving feelings or aspirations for the future

• Symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, fainting, and weakness generally should not be attributed to anxiety and require evaluation by a doctor.

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