Everyone experiences some anxiety. Anxiety disorders occur when the person has symptoms to the point where they greatly interfere with the person's functioning across several areas, such as work and leisure activities. According to Synopsis of Psychiatry, anxiety disorders are prevalent in the United States. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual covers different types of anxiety disorders and their common symptoms.
Excessive Worry
A person with anxiety is worrying on more days than not during for at least six months, about several things. It is difficult for the person to control his worrying. It may pervade his sleeping and waking hours.
Feeling on Edge
The person feels on edge, or nervous, for more days than not over six months. The feeling may be just a general sense, even if nothing is wrong.
Fatigue
The amount and type of worrying or feeling on edge may prevent the person from getting enough sleep, resulting in fatigue. The energy of worrying is exhausting.
Difficulty Concentrating
A person's mind may be so taken up with worry and fatigue that she has difficulty with concentration, and her mind may go blank for a few seconds about something she does know.
Irritability
The fatigue and worry over time may be so wearing that the person begins to feel irritable most of the time. The person's irritability must be far different from his non-anxious state.
Muscle Tension
The anxiety may manifest in physical symptoms, such as tight muscles. Often the tight muscles occur in the neck or shoulders.
Poor Sleep
The anxiety-ridden person may have difficulty with sleep at any point in the sleep cycle. She may not be able to fall asleep, wake in the middle of her sleep time or awaken early without being able to go back to sleep.
Selectivity of Attention
When someone is clinically anxious, he may have distorted perceptions. He may overlook some things in his environment and distort the presence of others to justify his anxiety. Justifying the anxiety creates more anxiety, creating an endless loop of reactions.
References
- "Synopsis of Psychiatry, 9th ed."; Benjamin J. Sadock and Virginia A. Sadock; 2003
- "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed., Text Revision"; American Psychiatric Association; 2000
