Common Anxiety Symptoms

Here are some of the many symptoms associated with anxiety disorder (because each person has a unique chemical make up, the symptoms and their intensity will vary from person to person).

The Member's area of this website contains explanations on what causes many of these symptoms and why they occur:
Body

* Burning Sensations throughout the body
* Chronic Fatigue
* Electric shock feeling
* Excess of energy, you feel you can’t relax
* Feel like you are going to pass out or faint
* Feeling cold or chilled
* Hyperactivity, excess energy
* Increased or decreased sex drive
* Muscle twitching
* Neck, back, shoulder pain, tightness/stiffness
* No energy, feeling lethargic, tired
* Numbness or tingling in hands, feet, face, head, or any other places on the body
* Persistent muscle tension, stiffness
* Sore or tight scalp or back of the neck
* Startle easily
* Sweating, uncontrollable profuse sweating
* The floor feels like it is moving either down or up for no reason
* Trembling or shaking
* Urgency to urinate, frequent urination, sudden urge to go to the washroom
* Warm spells
* Weak legs, arms, or muscles

Chest

* Chest pain or discomfort
* Concern about the heart
* Feel like you have to force yourself to breath
* Find it hard to breath, feeling smothered, shortness of breath
* Frequent yawning to try and catch your breath
* Heart – beating hard or too fast, rapid heartbeat, palpitations
* Heart - Irregular heart rhythms, flutters or ‘skipped’ beats, tickle in the chest that makes you cough

Emotions

* Dramatic mood swings
* Emotional blunting
* Emotions feel wrong
* Frequently feel like crying for no reason

Fears

* A heightened fear of what people think of you
* Afraid of being trapped in a place with no exits
* Constant feeling of being overwhelmed.
* Fear of being in public
* Fear of dying
* Fear of losing control
* Fear of impending doom
* Fear of making mistakes or making a fool of yourself to others
* Fear that you are losing your mind
* Fears about irrational things, objects, circumstances, or situations
* Fears of going crazy, of dying, of impending doom, of normal things, unusual feelings and emotions, unusually frightening thoughts or feelings
* Heightened self awareness, or self-consciousness
* Need to find nearest washrooms before you can feel comfortable
* Need to seat near exits

Head

* Dizziness or light-headedness
* Frequent headaches, migraine headaches
* Feeling like there is a tight band around your head, pressure, tightness
* Head, neck or shoulder pain, tightness/stiffness
* Giddiness
* Shooting pains in the face
* Shooting pains in the scalp or head
* When you close your eyes you feel like are beginning to, or will, float upwards
* Sore jaw that feels like a tooth ache

Hearing

* Frequent or intermittent reduced hearing or deafness in one or both ears
* Low rumbling sounds
* Ringing in the ears, noises in the ears, noises in the head

Mind

* Desensitization, depersonalization
* Fear of going crazy
* Fear of losing control
* Fear of impending doom
* Feelings of unreality
* Frequent feeling of being overwhelmed, or that there is just too much to handle or do
* Having difficulty concentrating
* Obsession about sensations or getting better
* Repetitive thinking or incessant ‘mind chatter’
* Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
* You often feel you are carrying the world on your shoulders

Mood

* Always feeling angry and lack of patience
* Depression
* Feeling down in the dumps
* Feeling like things are unreal or dreamlike
* Frequently being on edge or 'grouchy'
* Frequently feel like crying for no apparent reason
* Have no feelings about things you used to
* Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
* You feel like you are under pressure all the time

Mouth/Stomach

* A ‘tinny’, ‘metallic’ or ‘ammonia’, or unusual smell or taste
* Choking
* Constant craving for sugar or sweets
* Constipation
* Diarrhea
* Difficulty swallowing
* Dry mouth
* Feeling like you can’t swallow properly or that something will get caught in your throat
* Feeling like your tongue is swollen
* Frequent upset stomach, bloating, gaseous
* IBS
* Lack of appetite or taste
* Nausea or abdominal stress
* The thought of eating makes you nauseous
* Tight throat, lump in throat
* Vomiting

Sleep

* Difficulty falling or staying asleep
* Frequent bad, bizarre, or crazy dreams
* Hearing sounds in your head that jolt you awake
* Insomnia, or waking up ill in the middle of the night
* Jolting awake
* Waking up in a panic attack
* You feel worse in the mornings

Sight

* Distorted, foggy, or blurred vision
* Dry, watery or itchy eyes
* Eye tricks, seeing things our of the corner of your eye that isn’t there, stars, flashes
* Eyes sensitive to light
* Spots in the vision
* Flashing lights when eyes are closed
* Your depth perception feels wrong

Touch

* Numbness
* Pain
* Tingling, pins and needles feelings

Other symptoms are described as:
Being like a hypochondriac, muscle twinges, worry all the time, tingles, gagging, tightness in the chest, tongue twitches, shaky, breath lump, heart beat problems, head tingles, itchy tingling in arms and legs, and so many more.

In addition to these symptoms, you may also find yourself worrying compulsively about:
• Having a heart attack
• Having a serious undetected illness
• Dying prematurely
• Going insane or losing your mind
• Harming yourself or someone you love uncontrollably
• Being embarrassed or making a fool out or yourself
• Losing control
• Fainting in public
• Not breathing properly
• Choking or suffocating
• Being alone

(NOTE: Each symptom is further described and explained in the Symptoms Demystifed section in the members area.)

These are some of the more common symptoms, but this list is certainly not exhaustive.

It is common for people to experience one or more of these symptoms. While some may experience them all others may experience only a few anxiety symptoms.

All About Anxiety: What Is Anxiety?

• What is Anxiety?
• What Causes Anxiety?

• The Symptoms Of Anxiety
• Treatments For Anxiety

Anxiety is a general term for several disorders that cause nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worrying. These disorders affect how we feel and behave, and they can manifest real physical symptoms. Mild anxiety is vague and unsettling, while severe anxiety can be extremely debilitating, having a serious impact on daily life.

People often experience a general state of worry or fear before confronting something challenging such as a test, examination, recital, or interview. These feelings are easily justified and considered normal. Anxiety is considered a problem when symptoms interfere with a person's ability to sleep or otherwise function. Generally speaking, anxiety occurs when a reaction is out of proportion with what might be normally expected in a situation.

Anxiety disorders can be classified into several more specific types. The most common are briefly described below.

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What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a chronic disorder characterized by excessive, long-lasting anxiety and worry about nonspecific life events, objects, and situations. GAD sufferers often feel afraid and worry about health, money, family, work, or school, but they have trouble both identifying the specific fear and controlling the worries. Their fear is usually unrealistic or out of proportion with what may be expected in their situation. Sufferers expect failure and disaster to the point that it interferes with daily functions like work, school, social activities, and relationships.

A short video discussing generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). (video by healthyplace)

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What is Panic Disorder?

Panic Disorder is a type of anxiety characterized by brief or sudden attacks of intense terror and apprehension that leads to shaking, confusion, dizziness, nausea, and difficulty breathing. Panic attacks tend to arise abruptly and peak after 10 minutes, but they then may last for hours. Panic disorders usually occur after frightening experiences or prolonged stress, but they can be spontaneous as well. A panic attack may lead an individual to be acutely aware of any change in normal body function, interpreting it as a life threatening illness - hypervigiliance followed by hypochondriasis. In addition, panic attacks lead a sufferer to expect future attacks, which may cause drastic behavioral changes in order to avoid these attacks.

A short video discussing panic disorder. (video by NHSChoices)

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What is a Phobia?

A Phobia is an irrational fear and avoidance of an object or situation. Phobias are different from generalized anxiety disorders because a phobia has a fear response identified with a specific cause. The fear may be acknowledged as irrational or unnecessary, but the person is still unable to control the anxiety that results. Stimuli for phobia may be as varied as situations, animals, or everyday objects. For example, agoraphobia occurs when one avoids a place or situation to avoid an anxiety or panic attack. Agoraphobics will situate themselves so that escape will not be difficult or embarrassing, and they will change their behavior to reduce anxiety about being able to escape.

A video discussing phobias. (video by healthyplace)

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What is Social Anxiety Disorder?

Social Anxiety Disorder is a type of social phobia characterized by a fear of being negatively judged by others or a fear of public embarrassment due to impulsive actions. This includes feelings such as stage fright, a fear of intimacy, and a fear of humiliation. This disorder can cause people to avoid public situations and human contact to the point that normal life is rendered impossible.

A 28 minute video discussing social anxiety disorder with leading expert, Dr. Murray Stein. (video by uctelevision)

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What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by thoughts or actions that are repetitive, distressing, and intrusive. OCD suffers usually know that their compulsions are unreasonable or irrational, but they serve to alleviate their anxiety. Often, the logic of someone with OCD will appear superstitious, such as an insistence in walking in a certain pattern. OCD sufferers may obsessively clean personal items or hands or constantly check locks, stoves, or light switches.

A 4 minute video discussing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). (video by koritzls)

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What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is anxiety that results from previous trauma such as military combat, rape, hostage situations, or a serious accident. PTSD often leads to flashbacks and behavioral changes in order to avoid certain stimuli.

A 28 minute video discussing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). (video by uctelevision)

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What is Separation Anxiety Disorder?

Separation Anxiety Disorder is characterized by high levels of anxiety when separated from a person or place that provides feelings of security or safety. Sometimes separation results in panic, and it is considered a disorder when the response is excessive or inappropriate.

A short video of a toddler demonstrating separation anxiety. (video by jenningh)

Exercise Helps Brain Become More Resilient To Stress

Physical exercise reorganizes the human brain so that it responds better to stress and normal brain function is less likely to be affected by anxiety, researchers from Princeton University wrote in the Journal of Neuroscience.

In an animal experiment, the authors found that when very physically active mice were exposed to a stressor - cold water - neurons in their brains that shut off excitement in the ventral hippocampus became much more active. The ventral hippocampus is a region in the brain that regulates anxiety.

This study may also resolve an inconsistency in research regarding the effect exercise has on the brain - namely that physical activity lowers anxiety while at the same time encouraging the growth of new neurons in the ventral hippocampus.

Exercise should, in theory, lead to more anxiety, not less, because these young neurons are typically more excitable than their older equivalents. However, this study found that physical activity also enhances the mechanisms that stop these neurons from firing.

Senior author, Elizabeth Gould, Princeton's Dorman T. Warren Professor of Psychology, explained that the effect physical exercise might have on the ventral hippocampus specifically has not been explored deeply. In this study, the team was able to isolate brain cells and regions that play key roles in the regulation of anxiety. They believe their findings may help researchers better understand and treat anxiety disorders.

From an evolutionary perspective, the study also showed how the brain can be surprisingly adaptive, tailoring its own processes to an organism's surroundings and lifestyle. Less physically fit creatures, for example, may benefit from a higher likelihood of anxious behavior. Gould said "Anxiety often manifests itself in avoidant behavior and avoiding potentially dangerous situations would increase the likelihood of survival, particularly for those less capable of responding with a 'fight or flight' reaction."

Professor Gould said:

"Understanding how the brain regulates anxious behavior gives us potential clues about helping people with anxiety disorders. It also tells us something about how the brain modifies itself to respond optimally to its own environment."

In this study, the mice were divided into two groups:

• The active group - all the mice had free access to a running wheel
• The sedentary group - there was no running wheel

Mice love running - give them a wheel and they will run about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) every night. Six weeks later, the mice were exposed to brief periods of cold water.

Nearly as soon as they were exposed to the cold water (the stressor) the brains of the sedentary and active mice behaved differently:

• In the sedentary group, the cold water triggered an increase in "immediate early genes" - short-lived genes that are turned on rapidly when a neuron fires.
• In the active group these genes were not present, suggesting that their neurons did not immediately become super excited in response to the stressor.

The brain of an active mouse "showed every sign of controlling its reaction to an extent not observed in the brain of a sedentary mouse". Inhibitory neurons, which are known to keep excitable neurons in check, became much more active. Also, the neurons in the active mice's brains released more GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a neurotransmitter that calms down neural excitement. There were higher levels of the protein that packages GABA into vesicles for release into the synapse in the active mice.

When the scientists blocked the GABA receptor that tamps down neural activity in the ventral hippocampus, the anxiety-reducing effect of physical exercise was canceled out.

In an Abstract in the journal, the researchers concluded:

"Together, these results suggest that running improves anxiety regulation by engaging local inhibitory mechanisms in the ventral hippocampus."

Exercise, even when forced, reduces anxiety and depressive symptoms

Even forced exercise reduces anxiety - physical activity helps relieve the symptoms of anxiety and depression whether you exercised because you wanted to or were forced to, researchers from the University of Colorado, Boulder, wrote in the European Journal of Neurosciences (February 2013 issue).

The authors explained that previous studies had demonstrated how exercise can help protect against stress-related disorders. However, nobody had looked into the effect forced exercise might have on anxiety. Examples of forced exercise may be seen among high school students, college and professional sportsmen and women, and military personnel.

Greenwood wondered "If exercise is forced, will it still produce mental health benefits? It's obvious that forced exercise will still produce peripheral physiological benefits. But will it produce benefits to anxiety and depression?"

The researchers designed an animal experiment using rats. They were divided into two groups, active and sedentary. The active group was further split into two, with one running whenever it wanted, and the other having to run on mechanized wheels that turned on at different speeds and for varying periods so that both active groups ended up doing the same amount of exercise.

Six weeks later the rats were exposed to a stressor and their anxiety levels were tested the following day.

They found that regardless of whether the rats were forced to run or chose to, the physically active rats were protected against stress and anxiety equally, compared to the sedentary rats.

Greenwood said "The implications are that humans who perceive exercise as being forced - perhaps including those who feel like they have to exercise for health reasons - are maybe still going to get the benefits in terms of reducing anxiety and depression.

A British study showed that regular intense physical exercise protects men from anxiety and depression for many years after they stop.

Written by Christian Nordqvist