How to Know if You Have Anxiety
What is an Anxiety Disorder?
Mental health counselors can diagnose and treat many types of anxiety disorders. A few of the most common include social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. The difference between these three types of anxiety disorders primarily lies in what triggers the symptoms.
Social anxiety is triggered by social situations like being called upon to answer a question in front of classmates at school or simply communicating with others. Usually, social anxiety sets in when a person is a teenager, and it can worsen over time without treatment.
The second type of anxiety disorder is separation anxiety, which is most common among children when they are away from a parent or caregiver. For some children, however, the condition can lead to fear and anxiety that interferes with age-appropriate behavior. It can range from infants to children in early adolescence and can be treated with behavioral and pharmacological therapies.
The third type of anxiety is generalized anxiety. The most common characteristic of this mental health condition is persistent and excessive worry. People with generalized anxiety may worry about a possible disaster, death, health, family, work, or other issues. When people cannot control their worries on more days than not for at least six consecutive months and have three or more anxiety symptoms, they may be diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder.
Physical Symptoms of Anxiety
As you ask the question ‘Do I have anxiety’, you should clearly understand what signs might point to an anxiety disorder. Anxiety happens when something makes your body activate its fight or flight response – it often happens suddenly and puts your body on high alert. When you experience anxiety, you can exhibit any of the following anxiety symptoms:
- Anxiety surrounding a life event or experience
- Difficulty concentrating or thinking clearly
- Digestive or gastrointestinal problems
- Feelings of panic or dread
- Increased or heavy sweating
- Insomnia
- Nervousness, restlessness
- Obsessions about certain ideas
- Rapid breathing or hyperventilation
- Rapid heart rate
- Strong desire to avoid things that trigger your anxiety
- Trembling or muscle twitching
- Weakness
Symptoms of an Anxiety Attack
Sometimes symptoms of this anxiety disorder can resemble life-threatening health problems like heart attacks, which often compel people to visit an emergency room. You may be having a panic attack if you experience four or more of the following:
- Chest pains or tightness
- Dizziness, light-headedness, feeling faint
- Fear of “going crazy” or losing control
- Fear of dying
- Feeling detached from oneself or reality
- Heart palpitations
- Nausea or gastrointestinal problems
- Numbness or tingling sensations
- Sensation of choking
- Shaking or trembling
- Shortness of breath or feeling of smothering
- Sudden onset of hot or cold feeling
- Sweating
What Causes an Anxiety Disorder?
Doctors aren’t 100 percent sure what causes anxiety, but they have linked mental health problems to a few things. For one, experiencing a traumatic event has been linked to causing anxiety disorders. Genetics can also lead to an increased risk of anxiety. It’s not uncommon for anxiety to accompany other mental health disorders like depression or bipolar disorder – all of which can be treated by a professional counselor or psychiatrist.
If you can answer yes to any of the following, consider contacting a mental health professional near you.
- You worry so much that it’s interfering with your daily life (for example, your hygiene, your grades or work performance, or your social life.)
- Your anxiety, fear, or worry is hard for you to control.
- You feel depressed, use alcohol or drugs to cope, or have other mental health concerns besides anxiety.
- You feel your anxiety is caused by an underlying mental health problem.
- You are having suicidal thoughts or are performing suicidal behaviors (if so, don’t wait to seek help. The Firelands Hope Line is available 8 a.m. to midnight every day at 567-867-HOPE (4673). For 24/7 crisis support, call 9-8-8.)
Finding Care
If you do choose to seek help from a mental health specialist for a potential anxiety disorder, there are a variety of treatment methods your counselor may take. First, you will meet with a mental health professional to undergo an evaluation, where you’ll discuss your thoughts, feelings, and behavior, in addition to your history. This will help pinpoint a diagnosis and any other potential health problems, such as depression, that may exist in tandem with anxiety.
Next, your mental health counselor will use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria, published by the American Psychiatric Association, to identify if you have a mental health diagnosis.
From there, your counselor will decide and implement a treatment plan, including psychotherapy (talk therapy/cognitive behavioral therapy) and/or a medication referral for medications like antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications like buspirone, or other short-term treatments.
Find a Firelands Counseling & Recovery Services location near you today.
