Symptoms of anxiety vary from person to person but can include being unable to concentrate, feeling depressed, feeling tired (lets face it being anxious is exhausting) or irritable. You can feel sweaty, numb; as if your heart is beating fast or irregularly. Anxiety feels like fear. Someone with an anxiety disorder may think they are going to die, that they are losing their mind and they can feel like they are choking. The fear feels real. Everyone suffers from anxiety to some degree. In fact some sources quote that one in four of us will suffer from an anxiety disorder at some point in our lifetime, with women being twice as likely to suffer as men. Anxiety can be a positive thing in small amounts. As humans we have the fight or flight instinct that makes our bodies ready for action, meaning we run away from danger when we need to. If we weren’t anxious about that exam or presentation, would we work so hard on it? But when levels of anxiety become so high you can’t function, you can’t go to work or college it’s time to get help. A General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is sometimes described as severe, almost continuous, inappropriate worry about lots of topics. Anxiety is a horrible condition suffered by good people. Some professionals believe that anxiety is genetic in the sense that some of us are more sensitive to danger. Overcoming anxiety can become a great source satisfaction and self esteem. Understanding the symptoms of anxiety will help you to begin the process of beating this debilitating condition.
