Many people with anxiety may not know that they have a problem other than a character flaw.

For anxiety sufferers, the labels of moody and paranoid are often attached to them. Stressful situations become difficult to deal with and they are seen as blowing things out of proportion.

Psychological Symptoms

Anxiety is defined as having overwhelming thoughts of fear and worries that continue for six months or longer. There are many other symptoms connected with anxiety disorders and these often vary from person to person depending on the type and severity of the disorder.

A person with an anxiety disorder will likely be impatient (even short-tempered) and irritable. Such a person may also be restless, have trouble concentrating, or have a tendency to leave tasks and goals uncompleted. They may be forgetful, absent-minded, and easily confused. They often have trouble expressing their thoughts coherently. Sometimes an anxious person will feel as if their mind has gone blank.

The body of a person suffering from anxiety is in a constant state of alertness. They are always looking out for danger and tend to anticipate the worst scenarios. Oftentimes, people who are around an anxiety sufferer will see this person 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.

Some anxiety sufferers may also be afflicted with depression and hallucinations. This general occurs in those with severe anxiety and can often lead to thoughts of suicide.

Excessive thoughts of worry, fear, irrationality and negative feelings are persistent in those suffering from 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.

If the mind is in a constant state of worry, the body will experience other symptoms as well including loss of appetite, nausea, diahrrea, frequent urination and excessive thirst. In some cases, it was reported that a decrease in sex drive was also experienced.

Other Anxiety Symptoms

However, not all anxiety sufferers experience the same symptoms. In fact, some experience the opposite of the ones mentioned earlier. In most cases, these symptoms are brought on during a high level of anxiety such as someone suffering from SAD who finds themselves in the middle of a group of strangers.

One of these symptoms is low blood pressure (levels below 90/60) and this can reduce the amount of oxygen and nutrients that reach the brain.

Other anxiety sufferers have reported a heightened sex drive during levels of high anxiety.

Still others with chronic anxiety report having food cravings. Often the craving is for sugar, and this may be due to the fact that blood pressure is at times chronically low in cases of severe anxiety

An established writer, Funmi Salami loves to share her health related knowledge and experience. Her articles about Anxiety Disorder Dopamine and Anxiety Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be found on Clivir.com – the free learning community site.

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