Do you feel scared or nervous a lot of the time? Do you regularly have headaches and a dry mouth? These are only a few of the symptoms that you may be experiencing if your have anxiety.
The symptoms of anxiety can fall into two categories - psychological and physical.
Psychological symptoms include if you begin to feel worried or uneasy during the day, or get irritable and angry very quickly. You may also have difficulty sleeping, which affects your concentration levels during the day.
The most severe psychological affects of anxiety are when you begin to feel you have no control over you actions, or feel detached from your surroundings. See your GP for advice, or use our self-help guide to find out the best course of action for your symptoms (see 'further information' section below).
When you're feeling anxious the physical symptoms usually consist of your heart beating faster, and you'll begin to breathe more rapidly. Other physical signs also include having chest pains, feeling sick, and sweating a lot.
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
If your symptoms begin to take over your daily routine, or persist for longer than six months, you may have generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). Your GP will be able to diagnosis you depending on the range of you symptoms. Typically, the symptoms of GAD include:
- feeling restless or easily irritable for most of the day,
- feeling tired and having difficulty concentrating - your mind goes blank on a daily basis, or
- having difficulty getting to sleep, and staying asleep.
However, some of the physical symptoms of anxiety can also be caused by, or confused with, other elements of your lifestyle. For example:
- drinking too much caffeine (tea or coffee),
- the side effects of certain prescribed medicines (such as SSRI antidepressants),
- an overactive thyroid gland (too much of the hormone thyroxine is released into your blood causing your body's functions to speed up),
- misusing illegal drugs, or
- having a heart condition that causes palpitations (irregular heat beats)
Very rarely, the physical symptoms of anxiety may also be caused by low blood sugar levels.
If your life is being affected by anxiety see your GP. They will be able to identify any possible psychological or physical causes for your anxiety. They may also carry out a blood test if they suspect your thyroid glands are overactive.
If there are no physical reasons for your anxiety you may be referred to a psychiatrist.
