- Signs of Anxiety
- Physically, anxiety causes our bodies to become tense. This can result in a multitude of feelings, varying both in there effects and from one individual to another.
- Some symptoms mirror real illnesses that the individual has come into close contact with e.g. an illness suffered by a family member. Or the symptoms might mimic an illness which the anxious person is afraid of. e.g. fear of having a heart attack could result in the anxious person experiencing tightening in the chest.
Some of the more common physical signs of anxiety are detailed below:-
| Dizziness | Blurred Vision |
| Headaches | Tension in the neck and shoulders |
| Heart beating faster | Rapid Breathing |
| Sweating | Butterflies in the Stomach |
| Pins and Needles | Trembling |
| Wobbly Knees |
Physical symptoms can last a short time e.g. trembling or they can persist for a considerable period of time, even after the feeling of anxiety has passed e.g. tiredness.
- Other common complaints and symptoms are:-
- Emotional changes: - irritably - for example being unable to tolerate noise
- - being quick tempered - 'flying off the handle' very easily
- - getting easily upset
- - a loss of interest - 'can't be bothered/thoughts
- - uncertainty - feelings that everything is strange and
- unreal, experiencing nagging doubts and fears
- - fuzzy headedness - feeling like you are in a dream
- - indecisiveness - perhaps feeling the need to go over
- things again and again
- - poor concentration - becoming absent minded and
- forgetful
- - loss of self confidence
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- Physical changes:
- - sleeping difficulties - insomnia or bad dreams
- - poor co-ordination - clumsiness
