7 Subtle Signs You Have an Anxiety Disorder

Yahoo

5 days ago

Stress is part of everyday life. Between work assignments, family stuff, and other obligations, it's natural to feel anxious every once in a while. But once that stress becomes chronic, intense, or disruptive, it can cross the line into being an anxiety disorder.
'If we didn't have anxiety, we probably wouldn't prepare for a meeting or a test or we wouldn't care what people think,' says E. Blake Zakarin, Ph.D., licensed clinical psychologist. But when that healthy stress impulse 'stops being helpful and starts being impairing,' Zakarin says it's time to talk to a professional.
Anxiety disorder symptoms aren't always easy to spot—and they range a lot from person to person. While some people experience panic attacks, others may have phobias. And even innocent behaviors, like procrastination, can signal an anxiety disorder in some cases.
Trying to figure out whether your anxiety is more than just stress? Here are seven anxiety disorder symptoms experts say you should look for.
Avoidance or procrastination
If you start making excuses to skip activities, like parties, happy hours, or networking events, ask yourself why. 'Avoidance is something we brush off and rationalize, like saying you don't want to go meet new people because you're tired,' Zakarin says. Avoidance often starts small—think: hanging with close friends but staying home when they invite other people. But eventually, you'll catch yourself saying no more often than not.
Though procrastination is pretty common, it can also signal anxiety. If you're frequently missing deadlines or constantly putting off projects, consider whether anxiety is keeping you from doing the work. 'If it becomes a chronic problem because it's too distressing to face actually doing the project, that's a good signal of anxiety,' says Zakarin.
Second guessing
Always questioning your decisions and asking for second opinions? Anxiety may be to blame. 'Probably the most common observation from people close to individuals trying to manage intense anxiety is that they appear aroused, hyped up—continually doubt[ing] themselves and seek[ing] reassurance,' says Christine Maguth Nezu, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Drexel University.
'Someone might ask friends or coworkers if they are making the right decision,' she explains. 'Or they'll continually search the internet, never satisfied that they have enough information and worrying they may make the 'wrong' decision.'
Insomnia
Restless nights come and go. But if you consistently have trouble sleeping—or notice fatigue disrupting your life—it's worth mentioning to your doctor. 'We all have a night or two when we can't sleep,' Zakarin says. 'But if it's more chronic or really impacting your daytime wakefulness,' that's a red flag.
One rule of thumb? 'If it's taking you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night on an ongoing basis, or you're waking up and having trouble going back to bed, those are signals that anxiety is affecting your sleep,' she adds.
Stomach problems
When your fight-or-flight response switches on, your whole body kicks into gear. And that so-called 'survival mode' can disrupt your gastrointestinal system. As you get a burst of energy to fight off or flee from a threat, adrenaline and cortisol pump through your body—and your 'rest and digest' system switches off, Zakarin says.
This can leave you with an upset stomach, she explains, causing symptoms like cramps, indigestion, and loss of appetite, per the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA).
Headaches or sore muscles
Pay attention to where you carry stress in your body: What tenses up or hurts when you feel anxious? Some people with anxiety disorders will experience sore muscles or headaches, because they're constantly tensing up from feeling stressed. 'These aren't always due to anxiety,' Zakarin says. 'But like poor sleep, they're symptoms we tend to overlook like they're not a big deal.'
Since you may experience several anxiety symptoms at once, poor sleep can also contribute to your muscle aches and headaches.
Racing heart
When your body goes into fight-or-flight mode, blood flows to the areas that need it most—making your heart pump harder and faster, Zakarin explains. This can also cause you to breathe more heavily, leaving you panting like you're exercising, even if you're hardly moving.
Nezu adds that you might also start sweating, your blood pressure might increase, and you may feel sick, hot, or dizzy. 'The irony here is that people rarely brush off intense symptoms of anxiety as 'normal,'' she says. 'They tend to worry even more—[assuming] their rapid breathing is due to a heart attack or feeling faint may mean they have a brain tumor.' This, in turn, can make you feel even more anxious, 'creating a vicious cycle,' she adds.
Exhaustion
Sure, you might be skimping on sleep if you're up all night worried about what's to come. But anxiety can leave you feeling tired, even when you do get some quality shut-eye.
When you're anxious, your body is physically fighting to survive against whatever's stressing you out, Zakarin says. And that can make you feel pretty tired. So if you're exhausted and struggling to figure out why, consider whether anxiety is weighing you down.
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