Anxiety is a feeling of unease, discomfort, and fear of anticipated events, which leads to the body becoming alert and triggers the fight-or-flight response as if facing a real danger. This causes the emergence of anxiety symptoms, which are not limited to psychological sensations and emotions but can affect the entire body.
Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time due to daily events and life pressures. However, anxiety feelings and symptoms usually subside after a short period, which may be a few minutes or days.
For some, anxiety may become persistent, lasting weeks or months, worsening over time, and potentially interfering with daily tasks. This may indicate a possible anxiety disorder.
The core feature of anxiety is a feeling of fear and alertness. It dominates a person’s thinking and expectations, often anticipating the worst-case scenarios for the event or problem they face. Other psychological symptoms of anxiety include:
- Mood Changes, such as:
- Feeling upset and restless.
- Irritability and quick temper over minor matters.
- Fear and tension.
- Feeling frustrated.
Cognitive Changes:
Anxiety affects cognitive functions such as:
- Poor memory.
- Difficulty speaking.
- Scary thoughts, perceptions, and memories.
- Inability to concentrate or pay attention to surroundings, focusing only on worries.
Physical Symptoms of Anxiety:
Anxiety is not limited to psychological symptoms and may be accompanied by bothersome physical signs, including:
- Trembling or shaking: A physical symptom of psychological anxiety caused by increased adrenaline secretion and muscle tension.
- Muscle tension: Anxiety may lead to temporary muscle tightness in the neck, back, shoulders, and jaw. This usually disappears after the anxiety-causing event ends. Muscle tension can also cause teeth grinding or restless legs.
- Headache and dizziness: Physical symptoms of anxiety include headaches and dizziness caused by excessive thinking, stress, fear, and anticipation.
- Fatigue: Anxiety can cause feelings of tiredness and exhaustion. General fatigue and low energy are common symptoms of anxiety and depression.
- Digestive issues. Rapid heartbeat.
Shortness of breath: A symptom of severe anxiety, leading to increased shallow breathing, dizziness, lightheadedness, general fatigue, and possibly fainting.
Insomnia and sleep disturbances: Anxiety and stress can cause sleep problems and nightmares due to adrenaline effects, resulting in fatigue the next day.
Anxiety Symptoms in Children:
Children may experience anxiety similarly to adults but may find it difficult to recognize or express it.
Parents should watch for the following symptoms:
- Loss of appetite.
- Poor concentration and attention.
- Low self-confidence.
- Irritability and temper tantrums.
- Fatigue and boredom.
- Fear and extreme distress.
- Fear of specific events before they happen.
- Sleep difficulties and nightmares.
- Complaints of stomachache, headache or muscle pain.
