Key Takeaways
Anxiety disorders are the leading mental health concern in the U.S., affecting over 40 million adults.
Anxiety can be a natural response to stress. But if anxiety starts interfering with daily activities and impacting your life in a negative way, it might be a sign of an anxiety disorder.
Managing anxiety symptoms might involve talk therapy, learning coping strategies, and, in some cases, medication—approaches that have been shown to significantly improve quality of life for many people.
It’s natural to feel anxious before a speech or a first date. Usually, this anxiety is brief and fades once the event is over. Occasional anxiety is a normal reaction to stress, but if your feelings of distress linger, growing intense and persistent, they could indicate an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders are extremely common, with almost one-third of U.S. adults experiencing an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Many effective treatments are available for anxiety disorders, including therapy, lifestyle changes, and, in some instances, medication. With the right treatment approach, you can learn to recognize what triggers your anxiety and find relief from your symptoms.
What does anxiety feel like?
Anxiety can cause both physical and emotional symptoms that impact your daily life and overall health. While common signs of anxiety include an elevated heart rate, sweaty palms, and a sense of impending doom, there are also several more subtle or lesser known symptoms to watch out for. Some symptoms may also be more common in certain anxiety disorders.
Physical symptoms of anxiety disorders
Health issues: Persistent muscle tension, heartburn, headaches, and gastrointestinal symptoms, such as stomachaches, bloating, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), are all associated with anxiety. This is often seen in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), where worry is ongoing and can take a toll on the body.
Itchy skin: Stress hormones can directly interact with nerve cells in the skin, activating them and causing an itchy sensation. For example, some people notice itching or skin irritation during high-stress periods, even when there isn’t a clear medical cause.
Frequent urination: Anxiety activates the “flight-or-fight” response, which can increase the need to pee more frequently. This can be especially common in social anxiety disorder, like before giving a presentation or attending an event.
Brain fog: Anxiety can make it harder to focus and remember details. This is common in GAD — especially when your mind feels “stuck” in future worries or worst-case scenarios.
Psychological symptoms of anxiety disorders
Depersonalization: Anxiety can cause moments of feeling disconnected from reality. This may be more common during panic attacks, when anxiety increases quickly and feels intense or overwhelming.
Hyperawareness of bodily functions: Being anxious can make you overly conscious of your breathing or heartbeat, resulting in further anxiety. This can be a key feature of panic disorder, in which normal body sensations may feel frightening or dangerous.
Difficulty making decisions: Having anxiety can make even basic decisions challenging. You might overthink decisions or even avoid them due to a fear of making the wrong choice. This is often linked with GAD, especially when anxiety leads to rumination and a need for certainty.
Sleep problems: It makes sense that if you’re feeling anxious, you might also have problems getting a good night’s sleep. You may experience nightmares that disrupt sleep or have worries and fears that make it harder to fall and stay asleep. This can happen across anxiety disorders, but it’s especially common in generalized anxiety and trauma-related anxiety, when the mind stays on “high alert.”
Anxiety symptoms can look different depending on the disorder
While anxiety symptoms can overlap across conditions, certain symptoms may be more strongly linked with specific anxiety disorders. For example:
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): Chronic worrying, muscle tension, fatigue, brain fog, trouble sleeping
Panic disorder: Sudden waves of fear, racing heart, chest tightness, dizziness, feeling out of control
Social anxiety disorder: Fear of embarrassment, avoiding social situations, intense physical symptoms before events
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): Intrusive thoughts that feel distressing, followed by urges to perform behaviors or mental rituals to reduce anxiety
What causes anxiety disorders?
Anxiety can arise from a complex mix of factors, including childhood experiences, stressful life events, and more. Some people face a higher risk of developing anxiety disorders due to a variety of factors.
While risk factors vary based on the type of anxiety disorder, some general risk factors include:
There are several different types of anxiety disorders, including:
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): GAD is characterized by persistent feelings of anxiety or dread that lasts months or even years.
Panic disorder: If you have frequent and unexpected panic attacks with a sense of danger or losing control, even though there’s no clear trigger, you might have a panic disorder.
Social anxiety disorder: An intense and persistent fear of being watched and judged by others can be a sign of social anxiety disorder.
Phobia-related disorders: People with irrational and intense fears of flying, heights, injections, and other objects or situations may be diagnosed with a phobia-related disorder.
Dig deeper:
How is an anxiety disorder diagnosed?
Anxiety disorders can be tricky to diagnose because symptoms often overlap with other mental health conditions like depression and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Many people with anxiety disorders chalk up their symptoms to everyday stress or assume they’re just chronic worriers. Recognizing the difference is key to finding effective treatment and support.
Although anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition in the U.S., they’re underreported. One study suggested that more than 50% of people experienced symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) without a formal diagnosis.
Step one: Make an appointment with your provider
If you suspect you might have an anxiety disorder, the first step is making an appointment with a mental health professional. For a diagnosis, anxiety symptoms need to be present for at least six months and significantly interfere with work or your social life.
Step two: Complete your assessment with a mental health professional
Your initial assessment will usually begin with a discussion about your symptoms, their frequency, duration, and impact on your daily life. Your healthcare provider may also order blood tests to rule out medical conditions like thyroid issues or hormonal imbalances that can mimic anxiety symptoms.
Your therapist may assess your symptoms using the GAD-7 to assess your symptoms. This seven-question survey will help your therapist measure the intensity of your symptoms. While this score can provide insights, only a clinician should interpret the results to avoid self-diagnosis.
In addition, your therapist may ask you about specific fears, coping methods, family history, and lifestyle. Using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, your therapist will compare your symptoms against diagnostic criteria for specific anxiety disorders like GAD, social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Step 3: Explore treatment options
Once diagnosed, your healthcare provider will discuss treatment options, including therapy, lifestyle changes, medication, or a combination of these treatments.
Clinician's take
From what I’ve seen, a common barrier to seeking treatment for anxiety is clients thinking their symptoms, like avoiding social events due to fear of judgment, are simply personality traits rather than treatable issues.
Find care with Rula
If persistent, overwhelming anxiety is affecting your life, remember that help is within reach. Anxiety disorders are treatable, and, with the right support, you can learn to manage your symptoms and respond to anxiety with calm and resilience.
With Rula, our matching tool connects you with one of our 15,000+ therapists dedicated to providing the care you deserve. In just seconds, you can find a therapist trained in anxiety disorders who can meet with you via live video as soon as tomorrow.
