Anxiety is a condition that plagues many individuals. It is a stressful world, with demands and responsibilities each day. Often, anxiety will occur, and it can manifest itself in a multitude of symptoms. Anxiety may be a generalized condition that comes on without a specific cause. When this occurs, it is known as generalized anxiety disorder. At other times, anxiety may come about due to a specific event. Whatever the reason, anxiety symptoms can severely disrupt a person’s lifestyle.

When an individual feels anxiety, it can create physical symptoms along with emotional issues. Some of the physical symptoms include:

  • Racing heart or heart palpitations.
  • Feelings of dizziness or faintness.
  • Nausea.
  • Sweating.
  • Diarrhea.
  • Tension in the muscles.
  • Headaches.
  • Insomnia.
  • Difficulty in breathing.
  • Weakness.
  • An itchiness of the skin, or a crawling sensation.
  • Back pain and soreness in other parts of the body.
  • Tightness in the chest.
  • Cold chills in the body.
  • Change in the temperature of the body.
  • Burning sensation around the facial and shoulder area.
  • Frequent urination.
  • Twitching of the muscles.
  • Shooting pains in various parts of the body.
  • Loss of sexual desire.
  • Trembling.
  • A loss of weight or a weight gain.

A person will also have emotional symptoms that will accompany an attack of anxiety. These symptoms may include:

  • A feeling that something bad is going to occur.
  • A restless, edgy feeling.
  • Apprehension.
  • Experiencing restlessness.
  • Feeling irritable.
  • Experiencing problems with concentration or thinking clearly.
  • Irrational fears.
  • A feeling of disorientation.
  • Loss of patience.
  • Depression.
  • Mood swings.
  • A feeling of always being under pressure.
  • Frequent crying spells.
  • A feeling of losing control.
  • Feeling easily frightened.
  • Emotional detachment from loved ones.

There are other symptoms, both physical and emotional, that a person may experience when anxiety occurs. Everyone has a different chemical makeup, and the feelings that will plague one individual may differ from what another person experiencing anxiety symptoms may feel.

Anxiety can become so severe that it will take over a person’s life, making an individual afraid to leave the safety of the home. When anxiety reaches this point, a person can easily become agoraphobic and reclusive, staying in the house and finding excuses not to go outside. This fear of leaving the house will add to the anxiety syndrome and contribute more anxious feelings to what the person is already experiencing. It can then become a vicious cycle.

Anxiety symptoms can also come in the form of panic attacks, which are sudden bursts of overwhelming panic that are accompanied by physical symptoms and fears of losing one’s mind or making a fool out of oneself in public. Usually, this type of attack will last no more than ten minutes to half an hour. But the feelings are so uncomfortable that it can be a frightening experience to go through. These sudden and intense attacks can add to a person’s fear of leaving the house.

Anxiety symptoms can be controlled. When it reaches the point where a person is not able to function normally and does not want to go anywhere, treatment is warranted. There are various medications that can help to control the anxious feelings that are a major part of this condition, and physical feelings will also be helped once the anxiety level has been reduced. Behavioral therapy can also be beneficial in treating anxiety symptoms and helping an individual to return to a normal lifestyle.