According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders affect approximately 40 million American adults each year. It is normal to experience some degree of anxiety when faced with a stressful event. Normal anxiety is generally brief, stopping after a short amount of time. Anxiety disorders are persistent, with symptoms lasting for at least six months. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, specific phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety disorder. If you think you may have an anxiety disorder, you should consult with your doctor or a licensed mental health professional.
Excessive Worry
If you have an anxiety disorder, you may experience exaggerated and persistent worry. This may have a significant impact on your overall functioning, affecting your sleep, relationships and career. According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, the worry is unsubstantiated by events currently occurring in your life. You may feel constant tension or be overly concerned about everyday problems, such as health, money or family.
Panic Attacks
According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, panic attacks are a symptom of anxiety disorder, generally occurring mainly among individuals suffering from panic disorder. During a panic attack, you will usually feel physical symptoms such as shaking, sweating, chest pain or nausea. Sometimes people mistake the feeling of a panic attack for a heart attack or feel like they are about to die. You feel like you have no control over your physical symptoms. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, you may have a pounding heart or feel weak, faint or dizzy. These attacks can occur at any time, without provocation. They may even occur in your sleep. Though the duration can vary, symptoms of panic attacks generally last for about 10 minutes.
Irrational Fear
If you experience an anxiety disorder, the chances are high that you have an irrational fear of a specific place, thing or situation. According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, you avoid or dread something that poses little or no danger. In some people, this fear manifests as social phobia, otherwise known as social anxiety disorder, involving a fear of social situations and a fear of being watched or judged by others. Other common phobias are the fear of heights, closed-in places, flying, driving or water.
