According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, more than 18 percent of American adults, or about 40 million people, struggle with an anxiety disorder every year. Anxiety disorders include many conditions, such as social anxiety disorder, general anxiety disorder, panic disorder, OCD, PTSD, and phobias. There’s a good chance you or someone you know has struggled or will struggle with anxiety. Here are some common symptoms of anxiety disorders.
Constant worrying
It’s normal to worry sometimes. If you never worry about anything, you might have another problem. However, worrying all the time is often a sign of an anxiety disorder. This is especially true of you worry about things that aren’t really a big deal, like going to the store, or if you worry about things that are fairly improbable. If you worry uncontrollably on most days for six months, you may have generalized anxiety disorder.
Avoidance
Avoidance is a common behavior when you have an anxiety disorder. For example, maybe you had an awkward conversation at work and so now you avoid that person because you’re afraid it will happen again. Or someone with PTSD might avoid situations similar to those in which the trauma occurred. For example, someone who was in a bad car accident may avoid driving. The problem is that avoidance only makes the anxiety worse. Instead of facing a situation that makes you anxious and discovering it’s not so bad, you continue to believe the situation is dangerous and awful and continue to avoid it.
Panic
A panic attack is when your heart starts racing, you have trouble breathing, and you may get dizzy or feel like you’re going to pass out. People often mistake panic attacks for heart attacks. Panic attacks are often provoked by some event that may normally cause anxiety but panic is a massively disproportionate response and not at all helpful. For example, you might have to take a test, which often makes people anxious, but instead of just feeling nervous, your anxiety gets completely out of control. If you’ve had panic attacks before, you might panic over the possibility of having another one.
Insomnia
Anxiety disorders often make it very hard to sleep. You may feel very tired and lie down, wanting to sleep, but your mind can’t shut off. You lie there worrying about things that might go wrong. The worst thing is that many studies have found that too little sleep actually increases anxiety, leading to a downward spiral.
Stomach problems
Anxiety quite often leads to physical symptoms too, the most common of which is stomach problems. Nausea and vomiting are the most common stomach problems caused by anxiety but stomach cramps and diarrhea are common too.
Headaches
Another physical symptom of anxiety is tension. It’s especially common to experience this tension in the shoulders, neck, face, and jaw. You may also grind your teeth in your sleep. This constant tension in the neck and jaw, as well as an increased sensitivity to pain leads to more frequent headaches.
At Alta Lama Transformational Services, you will meet knowledgeable, compassionate professionals that understand addiction in all its forms. Alta Lama uses an integrative and holistic approach to treat addiction and mental health issues. No treatment is one-size-fits-all, where you will have a team of experts prepared to create your customized treatment plan. We offer care for your mind, body, and spirit, so that you can heal from the inside out and look forward to a lifetime of sobriety and wellness. If you are ready to take the first step in your recovery, please call us at 866-457-3843.
