Mind, Body, and Behavioral Effects
Anxiety Disorder Symptoms
Everyone experiences some anxiety; it’s a normal, healthy human emotion that alerts us to threats and helps us stay safe.
For many people, this natural “alarm system” can become overly sensitive, ringing even when there is no real danger. When worry and fear are no longer temporary but become a persistent, overwhelming force, it may be related to an anxiety disorder.
Recognizing and understanding your adult anxiety disorder symptoms is an important step toward regaining control, opening the door to effective, evidence-based treatments and a path toward a calmer, more enjoyable life.
Recognizing Anxiety Disorder Symptoms in Adulthood
For many adults with anxiety, the condition is a whole-body experience that can impact them mentally, physically, and behaviorally.
Emotional and Cognitive Symptoms
While the feeling of “worry” is central to anxiety, the emotional and cognitive impact can be far more complex. These internal anxiety disorder symptoms can impact your thoughts, perceptions, and interactions with the world, and may include:
- Excessive Worrying: This is a persistent, often uncontrollable, chain of “what if” thoughts about various aspects of life (such as health, finance, or relationships) that is disproportionate to the actual situation.
- Catastrophizing: A tendency to jump to the worst-possible conclusion. For example, a headache could be interpreted as a symptom of a serious illness.
- Racing Thoughts: Your mind may feel like it’s moving too fast to keep up with, with thoughts jumping from one worry to another without a clear path. This makes it nearly impossible to concentrate or relax.
- Irritability and Agitation: When your nervous system is in a constant state of high alert, your patience can wear thin. You may find yourself feeling easily annoyed, agitated, or quick to anger.
- Pervasive Sense of Dread: A persistent, unsettling feeling that something bad is about to happen, even when there is no specific threat to point to.
Physical Symptoms
Anxiety is not “all in your head.” It is a physiological experience that can trigger the body’s “fight-or-flight” response, leading to a wide range of very real and often distressing physical symptoms. Common physical anxiety disorder symptoms include:
- Increased Heart Rate: A pounding or racing heartbeat is common as your body prepares for a perceived threat.
- Muscle Tension: Chronic anxiety often leads to constantly tensed muscles, particularly in the neck, shoulders, and back. This can result in aches and pains.
- Shortness of Breath: You might feel like you can’t get a full breath or experience a smothering sensation, a hallmark of the fight-or-flight response.
- Digestive Issues: The gut-brain connection is strong. Anxiety can cause or contribute to nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, or other digestive distress.
- Fatigue: Being in a constant state of high alert is exhausting, leading to profound fatigue even after a full night’s sleep.
- Sleep Disturbances: Racing thoughts and physical tension can make it hard for the body to “power down,” leading to difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep.
Behavioral Symptoms
Over time, the mental and physical experience of anxiety can lead to changes in behavior. These actions are typically an attempt to control the worry or avoid situations that might trigger it. Behavior-based anxiety disorder symptoms may include:
- Avoidance: Actively staying away from people, places, or situations that do or could cause anxiety. This could mean turning down social invitations or refusing to drive on highways. While it can provide temporary relief, avoidance ultimately reinforces the anxiety in the long term.
- Compulsive or Repetitive Behaviors: Engaging in certain rituals or habits in an attempt to soothe anxious thoughts. This could be as simple as checking that the doors are locked multiple times, or as complex as the specific compulsions seen in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
- Second-Guessing and Seeking Reassurance: Constantly doubting your decisions and needing to ask others for their approval or for reassurance that everything will be okay. While this can provide some temporary relief, this cycle can ultimately erode self-confidence and reinforce the anxiety long-term.
Finding Your Path to a Calmer, In-Control Life
The persistent nature of your adult anxiety disorder symptoms can be draining, but it’s important to know that you do not have to live this way. Anxiety disorders are among the most treatable mental health conditions, and a comprehensive evaluation from a mental health professional can help you discover the right treatment for you.
At Resilient Psychotherapy & Psychiatric Services, we believe in a personalized and evidence-based approach to care. Our psychologist and psychiatrist provide compassionate, thorough assessments, allowing us to help our patients create the right treatment plan based on their wants, needs, and mental health goals.
You do not have to navigate your anxiety disorder symptoms alone. Contact Resilient Psychotherapy today to schedule your consultation.
