Anxiety Symptoms - The List

[jitters]

Hi,

Having read a number of posts by new comers asking whether certain symptoms could be down to anxiety, I thought it might be good to list the different symptoms suffered by Anxiety sufferers. This comes from AnxietyCentre.com:

Common Anxiety Symptoms

Here are some of the many symptoms associated with anxiety disorder (because each person has a unique chemical make up, the symptoms and their intensity will vary from person to person).

The Member's area of this website contains explanations on what causes many of these symptoms and why they occur:
Body

* Burning Sensations throughout the body
* Chronic Fatigue
* Electric shock feeling
* Excess of energy, you feel you can’t relax
* Feel like you are going to pass out or faint
* Feeling cold or chilled
* Hyperactivity, excess energy
* Increased or decreased sex drive
* Muscle twitching
* Neck, back, shoulder pain, tightness/stiffness
* No energy, feeling lethargic, tired
* Numbness or tingling in hands, feet, face, head, or any other places on the body
* Persistent muscle tension, stiffness
* Sore or tight scalp or back of the neck
* Startle easily
* Sweating, uncontrollable profuse sweating
* The floor feels like it is moving either down or up for no reason
* Trembling or shaking
* Urgency to urinate, frequent urination, sudden urge to go to the washroom
* Warm spells
* Weak legs, arms, or muscles

Chest

* Chest pain or discomfort
* Concern about the heart
* Feel like you have to force yourself to breath
* Find it hard to breath, feeling smothered, shortness of breath
* Frequent yawning to try and catch your breath
* Heart – beating hard or too fast, rapid heartbeat, palpitations
* Heart - Irregular heart rhythms, flutters or ‘skipped’ beats, tickle in the chest that makes you cough

Emotions

* Dramatic mood swings
* Emotional blunting
* Emotions feel wrong
* Frequently feel like crying for no reason

Fears

* A heightened fear of what people think of you
* Afraid of being trapped in a place with no exits
* Constant feeling of being overwhelmed.
* Fear of being in public
* Fear of dying
* Fear of losing control
* Fear of impending doom
* Fear of making mistakes or making a fool of yourself to others
* Fear that you are losing your mind
* Fears about irrational things, objects, circumstances, or situations
* Fears of going crazy, of dying, of impending doom, of normal things, unusual feelings and emotions, unusually frightening thoughts or feelings
* Heightened self awareness, or self-consciousness
* Need to find nearest washrooms before you can feel comfortable
* Need to seat near exits

Head

* Dizziness or light-headedness
* Frequent headaches, migraine headaches
* Feeling like there is a tight band around your head, pressure, tightness
* Head, neck or shoulder pain, tightness/stiffness
* Giddiness
* Shooting pains in the face
* Shooting pains in the scalp or head
* When you close your eyes you feel like are beginning to, or will, float upwards
* Sore jaw that feels like a tooth ache

Hearing

* Frequent or intermittent reduced hearing or deafness in one or both ears
* Low rumbling sounds
* Ringing in the ears, noises in the ears, noises in the head

Mind

* Desensitization, depersonalization
* Fear of going crazy
* Fear of losing control
* Fear of impending doom
* Feelings of unreality
* Frequent feeling of being overwhelmed, or that there is just too much to handle or do
* Having difficulty concentrating
* Obsession about sensations or getting better
* Repetitive thinking or incessant ‘mind chatter’
* Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
* You often feel you are carrying the world on your shoulders

Mood

* Always feeling angry and lack of patience
* Depression
* Feeling down in the dumps
* Feeling like things are unreal or dreamlike
* Frequently being on edge or 'grouchy'
* Frequently feel like crying for no apparent reason
* Have no feelings about things you used to
* Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
* You feel like you are under pressure all the time

Mouth/Stomach

* A ‘tinny’, ‘metallic’ or ‘ammonia’, or unusual smell or taste
* Choking
* Constant craving for sugar or sweets
* Constipation
* Diarrhea
* Difficulty swallowing
* Dry mouth
* Feeling like you can’t swallow properly or that something will get caught in your throat
* Feeling like your tongue is swollen
* Frequent upset stomach, bloating, gaseous
* IBS
* Lack of appetite or taste
* Nausea or abdominal stress
* The thought of eating makes you nauseous
* Tight throat, lump in throat
* Vomiting

Sleep

* Difficulty falling or staying asleep
* Frequent bad, bizarre, or crazy dreams
* Hearing sounds in your head that jolt you awake
* Insomnia, or waking up ill in the middle of the night
* Jolting awake
* Waking up in a panic attack
* You feel worse in the mornings

Sight

* Distorted, foggy, or blurred vision
* Dry, watery or itchy eyes
* Eye tricks, seeing things our of the corner of your eye that isn’t there, stars, flashes
* Eyes sensitive to light
* Spots in the vision
* Flashing lights when eyes are closed
* Your depth perception feels wrong

Touch

* Numbness
* Pain
* Tingling, pins and needles feelings

Other symptoms are described as:
Being like a hypochondriac, muscle twinges, worry all the time, tingles, gagging, tightness in the chest, tongue twitches, shaky, breath lump, heart beat problems, head tingles, itchy tingling in arms and legs, and so many more.

In addition to these symptoms, you may also find yourself worrying compulsively about:
• Having a heart attack
• Having a serious undetected illness
• Dying prematurely
• Going insane or losing your mind
• Harming yourself or someone you love uncontrollably
• Being embarrassed or making a fool out or yourself
• Losing control
• Fainting in public
• Not breathing properly
• Choking or suffocating
• Being alone

(NOTE: Each symptom is further described and explained in the Symptoms Demystifed section in the members area.)

These are some of the more common symptoms, but this list is certainly not exhaustive.

It is common for people to experience one or more of these symptoms. While some may experience them all others may experience only a few anxiety symptoms.

http://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-symptoms.shtml

This list is not exhaustive, Feel free to add others.

Worriers of the World Unite!

Duncan

[blackdahlia]

I just wanted to say thanks for this post. I was at work when I had a minor freakout and talked to a friend who linked me this. After realizing that almost everything I was feeling were symptoms of this it helped me relax.

[mark27]

im a 27 year old male who suffers from anxiety,recently i have been doing quite good without any attacks,but im still having the side effects,skip heartbeats,feeling like im gonna faint dizzyness/headaches,pains in fingers arms chest and in the back,i also have ibs,i have had numerous ecgs and everything has always come back fine,at the minute i feel like im going mad,my doctor has told me to carry on with normal life like work and hobbies etc but im convinced im gonna have a heart attack or somethng so i give up playing football,i know this may sound crazy but can anybody help pls

[House Dad]

I didn't read all 16 pages but i am having a symptom the last 2 days. I keep having tremors. My whole body just shakes uncontrollably. I hope it's anxiety related.

[jessikachu]

Ohhhhh, this list is me in a nutshell.

[PittsburghCounseling]

I suppose the fatigue is right up there with the chest pain.

[Schatmeisje]

Thanks for this, this is really informative :-)

[KilaRose]

Hi everyone I'm fairly new to this. I developed what I'm told is anxiety about two months ago. A large portion of this list relates to my symptoms, along with the teeth grinding that has randomly become a new habit to me. I'm 22 and smoke mildly, eat somewhat poorly. I'm more curious as to how to tell the difference in anxiety opposed to a true heart condition. I've had to EKG both looked good and I'm meeting with my doctor this coming week. I dint have any methods on how to cope with this new feeling, especially when the feeling seems to radiate around fear of something with my heart. My attacks start with ringing ears, then I suddenly feel flushed, my arm begins to feel numb then my heart races and my mind takes over. It's very scary and very concerning to me but the er seemed to think I was ok and had anxiety. I haven't been through any recent or overbearing stress, nothing traumatic, though I was diagnosed with manic depression years back but have been off my meds for over a year (my decision). I really am just reaching out to those who know how to cope with these attacks and can help me get over the fear of cardiac problems. Thank you all for any input.

[mdh157]

Hello,

long time lurker but just decided to register and post. I have anxiety issues for sure, most just wound up and seem angry/no patience most of the time and in a hurry for no reason. The main symptoms that worry me are the tight throat and I get pains all over my body exc for my head - usually like small shooting pains (anyone else get anything similar to that?). they usually are gone within a minute but since they are random it has gotten my to worrying that it's MS or something else that is serious. My doc does not think it is anything to worry about but he hasn't given me any other diagnosis. I also worry of getting cancer of the esophagus as I have reflux. Funny, in Oct 2009 I had an endo and the doc said then that it was minor so he does not even recommend a follow up endo as he considers mine to be a 'normal endoscopy.' I wish I could see it the same way - perhaps I would if the PPIs got rid of the symptoms.

funny, all of this stuff started around the same time back in 2005....reflux, and pinched nerves in the thoracic vertebrae, and this nerve stuff only started in Dec 2010. And it will go away for awhile and then come back out of nowhere, like on sunday i was at the beach and had no problems whatsoever.

If you happen to have a pinched nerve(s) make sure you work it out - they can create havoc which will only exacerbate your anxiety - trust me, i know. They can give you all kinds of symptoms that will make your mind go crazy.

BTW, for those of you who grind at night, get yourself an NTI. (mouthguard) I got one abt 3 yrs ago and it has helped tremendously. they made it right in my dentist office. bad part is, insurance wouldn't pay for it - cost me $275. Good part is, it is worth every penny and i'll get another when this one needs replaced.

[ninetiesbaby]

All I need to know is.. these symptoms.. do they ever go away?