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May 18, 2016

What are the symptoms of anxiety?

Written by Andy Martin
Symptoms of anxiety. Girl sitting by a window.

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week, with a focus on relationships.

We’re taking a look at the symptoms of anxiety, what to look out for in our friends and family and what we can do to help.

Symptoms of anxiety include:

  • Problems sleeping
  • Restlessness
  • Dizziness
  • Irritability
  • Tense muscles
  • Heart palpitations
  • Feeling sick

What is a panic attack?

A panic attack is an intense feeling of anxiety, which often happens with physical symptoms, including:

  • Shaking
  • Hyperventilating
  • Sweating

In most cases panic attacks are not dangerous, but anyone suffering from them should speak to a doctor if they happen regularly.

Types of anxiety

Anxiety can appear in different ways, including:

  • Health anxiety – sufferers have a constant fear that they are suffering from illness. They may worry that they have a range of conditions, or obsess about one type of illness.
  • OCD – obsessive compulsive disorder describes a condition that causes people to have obsessive thoughts, which leads to anxiety. Sufferers usually have a compulsive need to check things, a fear of contamination, problems with hoarding or repetitive, harmful thoughts.
  • Phobias – people can suffer from anxiety about certain places, objects or social situations. Fears become phobias if they prevent sufferers from living a normal life. Common phobias include animals such as spiders, fear of being in certain situations, such as heights, and fear of medical procedures like having an injection.
  • Generalised anxiety disorder – anxiety on most days, about many different things, can be very debilitating. Common symptoms include not being able to sleep, getting irritable quickly and feeling restless.

How can you help?

  • Look out for the symptoms of anxiety in other people.
  • Let someone with anxiety talk to you about their feelings and don’t brush them off as being small issues. To a sufferer of anxiety, even everyday things can cause stress.
  • Encourage a sufferer to speak to their doctor. Cognitive behavioural therapy, or medication, may be helpful.
  • If you think that you could make a difference to people who suffer from anxiety, then you might be a great counsellor.
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