How Do You Know If You Have An Anxiety Disorder Or Not?

Will Knowing You Have An Anxiety Disorder Help Treat It?

Understanding exactly what an anxiety disorder is is critical to knowing whether you have an anxiety disorder or are just dealing with a case of anxiety that would be considered as normal. There are times where it is normal to feel anxiety, as anxiety is your body's natural response against danger, a type of alarm that will go off when you are facing a challenging or even dangerous situation. Some such examples where feeling anxiety is normal would include the following events:

• Preparing for a major exam or presentation.


• Preparing to go in for surgery.


• Heading to the chapel to get married.


• Going out on your first date in a while.


• Etc.

However, if worries and fears are preventing you from living the life that you want to live, this could be a sign that you are suffering from an anxiety disorder. If the worries and fears are so overwhelming that your relationships and activities are affected by them, that is definitely a sign that can indicate that you are suffering from an anxiety disorder. The emotional symptoms of anxiety include the following signs:

• Trouble concentrating


• Feeling tense and jumpy


• Feelings of apprehension or dread


• Feeling like your mind has gone blank


• Restlessness


• Anticipating the worst


• Watching for signs of danger


• Irritability

There are also physical symptoms of anxiety that can manifest themselves, including the following signs:

• Pounding heart


• Twitches and tremors


• Headaches


• Insomnia


• Fatigue


• Stomach upset or dizziness


• Shortness of breath


• Muscle tension


• Frequent urination or diarrhea


• Sweating

These numerous physical symptoms can cause those suffering with an anxiety disorder to make numerous trips to their doctor or hospital because they believe that they are suffering from a medical condition. Because it's not easy to specifically identify an anxiety disorder, it could take several trips to definitively determine that a person is suffering from an anxiety disorder. Additionally, anxiety disorders are difficult to definitively diagnose because they can show different symptoms in different people. For instance, one person may deal with intense anxiety attacks, while another person only feels apprehension at a party with many people; otherwise, that person is fine. Other people may deal with a constant state of tension and worry.

Anxiety attacks (known as "panic attacks" in mental health circles) are instances of intense panic or fear. They usually occur suddenly and without warning. There can be an obvious trigger, such as a presentation that you have to give in 10 minutes, but often, there is no obvious trigger that brings on these anxiety attacks.

Anxiety attacks that come from disorders will usually peak within 10 minutes and not usually last more than 30 minutes. However, during that time period, the person may feel as if he/she is going to die or to totally lose control. Some people feel as if they're going to have a heart attack when they experience an anxiety attack. Even after the anxiety attack passes, the person may be fearful of another one, especially if he/she is in a public place where help isn't readily available or if he/she can't easily escape from the area. There are several symptoms of anxiety attacks that you can watch out for, including the following symptoms:

• Heart palpitations or chest pain


• Feeling like you're going to pass out


• Hyperventilation


• Hot flashes or chills


• A surge of overwhelming panic


• Feeling detached or unreal


• Feeling of losing control or going crazy


• Shaking or trembling


• Nausea or stomach cramps


• Having trouble breathing or a choking sensation

It is not easy to determine whether a person has an anxiety disorder because having anxiety at times is normal and people who do have anxiety disorders will often display different symptoms. By paying attention to the emotional and physical symptoms of the anxiety attacks caused by an anxiety disorder, you can identify whether you truly have an anxiety disorder so that you can determine what options you have to effectively treat your anxiety.