Medical Review by Jennie Stanford, MD, FAAFP, DABOM
Summary
- General anxiety symptoms include constant worry, restlessness, physical fatigue, difficulty with daily tasks, and avoiding situations due to fear.
- There are different types of anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias, each with unique symptoms.
- If anxiety affects your ability to go to work, school, or socialize, or disrupts your daily routine, it’s time to seek professional help.
- Early intervention is important, as untreated anxiety can worsen and impact both mental and physical health.
Understanding the signs of anxiety & finding the help you need
Everyone feels anxious now and then—it’s a normal response to stress or uncertainty. But when anxiety becomes intense, constant, or difficult to control, it can feel overwhelming.
Anxiety disorders affect about 20% of adults each year. Anxiety can have multiple causes, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality traits (like shyness), past trauma, certain medications or health conditions, and life experiences.
Recognizing the symptoms of anxiety is the first step toward managing it effectively. In this article, we’ll explore the types of anxiety and their symptoms. This can help you make informed decisions about your mental health and seek expert guidance from a healthcare professional.
Types of anxiety & their symptoms
There are several types of anxiety disorders, each with their unique symptoms. However, they all share some common features, including:
- Constant anxious thoughts or beliefs
- Excessive and irrational fear
- Feelings of restlessness and tension
- Difficulty managing everyday tasks
- Physical symptoms, like a racing heart or shortness of breath
- Avoidance of activities or situations that trigger anxious sensations
These shared traits make anxiety disorders similar, but each type also has distinct characteristics that can affect daily life in different ways.
Generalized anxiety disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) can leave you feeling constantly worried, anxious, and overwhelmed by everyday situations. Unlike stress, which is linked to a specific issue, the anxiety in GAD spreads across many areas of your life and lasts for at least six months.
Along with this ongoing worry, you might also find yourself:
- Feeling easily fatigued
- Experiencing muscle tension
- Having trouble concentrating
- Struggling to sleep
- Feeling irritable
Panic disorder
If you have panic disorder, you may experience unexpected panic attacks that can happen at any time. These attacks cause you to feel intense fear or discomfort, often without cause. You might have:
- A racing heart
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Dizziness
You might also feel out of control or worry that something terrible (such as death) is about to happen.
Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety disorder is the fear of being watched or judged by others. If you have this disorder, you might worry about being humiliated or criticized, making everyday activities like talking or eating in front of others feel difficult.
You may experience symptoms such as
- Blushing
- Sweating
- Trembling
- A racing heart
- Nausea
- Having your mind go blank
This fear can be so overwhelming that it affects your ability to go to work, school, or socialize.
Specific phobias
Specific phobia is an anxiety disorder where you have an excessive and irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity. The fear you feel is out of proportion to the actual danger, and it can lead you to avoid certain things altogether. Common phobias include:
- Fear of heights
- Spiders
- Flying
- Needles
When you experience the feared object or situation, you may feel intense anxiety or even have a panic attack.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
If you have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) you may have unwanted, anxiety-inducing, repeated thoughts, known as obsessions, and/or repetitive behaviors, known as compulsions. Common obsessions include:
- Fears of germs
- Worries about losing something
- Needing symmetry
- Having aggressive or taboo thoughts
These obsessions can lead to compulsive actions, like excessive hand washing, organizing things in a certain way, or repeatedly checking or counting things. Although these behaviors may provide temporary relief from anxiety, they’re not enjoyable and can be time-consuming.
Separation anxiety disorder
Separation anxiety is often thought to only affect children, but adults can experience it too. If you have separation anxiety disorder, the thought of being away from home or your loved ones can cause intense distress.
You might constantly worry about something bad happening to them, and fear being separated for a long time. This anxiety can make it hard to leave the house or do things that involve being apart. You may experience physical symptoms like:
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Stomach aches
- Nightmares about separation
When to seek professional help
Signs that your anxiety may need professional help include fear that is irrational or disproportionate to the situation that causes it, constantly feeling tense or worried, and having difficulty functioning in everyday life.
If anxiety is preventing you from going to work, school, or socializing, or making it difficult to function in your daily routine, it’s time to seek support.
Timely medical intervention is important because untreated anxiety affects both your mental and physical health. Early treatment can help you manage your symptoms better, improve your quality of life, and give you the tools to cope more effectively.
What to expect during a medical consultation
During your medical consultation, your healthcare provider will ask about your medical history and do a detailed evaluation using established diagnostic criteria. To get a clear picture, they may order blood tests, like a complete blood count, chemistry profile, thyroid function tests, and a urinalysis.
They may also use tools like the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale-7 (GAD-7) or GAD-2 to diagnose you. These are based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
Your provider may ask you questions like:
- What mental and physical symptoms are you experiencing?
- How long have these symptoms been occurring?
- How long do they last?
- How do they affect your daily life?
Getting an accurate diagnosis is the first step toward effective treatment, so be honest and open about your symptoms to help guide your care.
Get your mental health back on track with Lemonaid Health
If you or someone you know may be showing signs or symptoms of anxiety, reach out to a healthcare provider for help as soon as possible. Working with a qualified medical professional is the best way to develop a treatment plan that is safe and effective for you.
Our team at Lemonaid Health can help. Find support for anxiety with a qualified US-based health professional who can help you understand your symptoms and find appropriate solutions—including FDA-approved medication in clinically indicated cases.
