Could I have anxiety?
Sometimes you might think you’re feeling anxious or you’re having a panic attack. Those are different. There are also several different types of anxiety, like generalized anxiety for one. For many people, this type of anxiety looks like you’re worrying about something even when nothing is wrong. There’s also social anxiety where you may have difficulty in social situations-you’d prefer to be somewhere else.
Or you could be worrying about something in particular, like your job, your health, your child’s health, your finances, your aging parents, like that, but the worrying feels out of your control. You have difficulty relaxing and this goes on for days. In general, you may have difficulty getting through an average day-WHY-because you believe something bad is going to happen. This constant worrying can make it difficult to do everyday tasks, have good relationships, or keep up at work.
What are some of the symptoms of a possible Anxiety Disorder? Let’s focus on Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
- Excessive anxiety and worry about a variety of topics, events, or activities. This type of worrying occurs more often than not for at least 6 months and you know it is excessive
- The worrying is experienced as very challenging to control
- The anxiety and worry is associated with at least 3 of the following physical or cognitive symptoms:
- Edginess, restlessness, feeling keyed up or on edge
- Tiring easily, more fatigued than usual
- Impaired concentration or feeling like you mind may go blank
- Irritability (others may or may not notice it, but you do)
- Increased muscle aches or soreness
- Difficulty sleeping (i.e., trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, restless at night, or unsatisfying sleep)
- Gastrointestinal discomfort or diarrhea
Remember, you need several symptoms, like above, to be going on at the same time for qualify for Generalized Anxiety Disorder. If you occasionally feel anxious, like before giving a presentation, but feel fine after you start, this doesn’t mean you have an anxiety disorder. Your symptoms need to last for at 6 months and you recognize they are excessive.