October 27, 2009
Common Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety Attack
In most cases, people suffering from Anxiety do not think they have a problem, only that they have a minor character flaw.
Anxiety sufferers are often labeled as paranoid or moody. They have trouble reacting appropriately in stressful situations and tend to overreact and blow things out of proportion.
Psychological Symptoms
The defining symptom of all anxiety disorders is having overwhelming thoughts of fears and worries that last for six months or more. There are several other symptoms of anxiety disorders, and they vary according to the type and severity of the anxiety.
A short temper, irritability and impatience are common symptoms anxiety sufferers deal with along with restlessness, trouble concentrating and the inability to complete tasks or goals. Further symptoms include the inability to express thoughts coherently along with complaints of the mind going blank.
There are physical tolls the body endures as well from a person afflicted with anxiety. The person will often be constantly on the lookout for danger or tend to think of the worst possible scenarios. In these cases, people around them will usually see the sufferer as pessimistic.
Most people who suffer from anxiety also suffer from Agoraphobia or fear of public places. This is most often seen in those with obsessive compulsive disorder. While most anxiety sufferers do not necessarily experience OCD, for the most part it is very common to a lesser degree.
A person with more severe anxiety may also have to deal with hallucinations and depression. Thoughts can sometimes turn suicidal.
Thoughts of worry, fear, negative feelings and irrational thoughts are persistent in those with anxiety.
Physical Symptoms
Anxiety is a psychological condition, but it can be physically taxing on the body. It has a tendency to manifest itself into several symptoms that can further affect a persons day to day functioning.
Some of the most common physical symptoms include an increased heart rate and higher blood pressure, sweating, dizziness, and headaches. A person with anxiety often has trouble taking deep breaths and hyperventilates quite frequently. He or she may experience fatigue, insomnia, and hyperactivity.
As the body is exposed to excessive amounts of adrenaline from a person suffering with anxiety, this person may also experience muscle tension and body aches. The excess adrenaline rush is also accountable for the mood swings.
And when the mind spends so much time in a state of worry, other bodily functions are compromised. This leads to a loss of appetite or nausea, diarrhea, or frequent urination, and constantly being thirsty. Many anxiety sufferers even complain about a reduced sex drive.
Other Anxiety Symptoms
However, not all anxiety disorder sufferers have the same symptoms. In fact, some show signs that contradict the symptoms mentioned above. These symptoms usually take place when anxiety levels become very high. For example, these symptoms may occur for a person with SAD when he or she is in a gathering of strangers.
One symptom is excessively low blood pressure. This reaction does not allow the proper oxygen and nutrient levels to get to the brain.
Other anxiety sufferers have reported a heightened sex drive during levels of high anxiety.
Food cravings have also been reported. In most cases, sugar was at the top of the list. It is believed that this occurs due to the excessively low blood pressure during a heightened anxiety episode.
Funmi Salami is a featured writer on Clivir.com. She loves to share her knowledge and do so by contributing articles about Anxiety Attack Causes and Anxiety Symptoms Benzodiazepines Cure.
Filed under About Anxiety by Funmi Salami














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