Anxiety is a common mental health disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. It is often characterized by feelings of worry, fear, or tension. While some symptoms are well-known, such as panic attacks and constant worry, anxiety can also show up in surprising and subtle ways that you might not associate with the condition. Here are seven surprising symptoms of anxiety you might be ignoring.
1. Excessive Worry: This is the most common symptom of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). While everyone worries about things like health, money, or family problems once in a while, people with GAD are extremely worried about these and other things, even when there is little or no reason to worry about them.
2. Sleep Problems: Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep is associated with a wide range of health conditions, both physical and psychological. If you have chronic sleep problems and can’t figure out why you may want to consider whether you’re possibly suffering from an anxiety disorder.
3. Chronic Indigestion: Anxiety may start in the mind, but it often manifests itself in the body through physical symptoms like chronic digestive problems. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), characterized by pain, bloating, and other discomfort in your gut, isn’t caused by anxiety but it can certainly be exacerbated by it.
4. Panic Attacks: These episodes of intense fear are accompanied by physical symptoms such as sweating, trembling, dizziness or rapid heartbeat. Even though panic attacks can feel like a heart attack or other serious condition, they’re not harmful in themselves but can be frightening.
5. Perfectionism: Many anxious people also have perfectionist tendencies which could be due to their fears of making mistakes or facing judgment for imperfections.
6. Compulsive Behaviours: Anxiety disorders often occur alongside compulsive behaviors which can manifest as obsessive cleaning habits or repeated checking on things (like whether the door is locked).
7. Self-Doubt: Persistent self-doubt and second-guessing is a common feature of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. If you don’t trust in yourself or your abilities, it might be worth considering whether your feelings of self-doubt are actually symptoms of an underlying anxiety disorder.
In conclusion, anxiety can manifest in numerous ways, some more obvious than others. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms persistently and they’re affecting your quality of life, it’s important to seek professional help. With the right treatment and support, you can manage your symptoms and lead a healthy, fulfilling life.