The stress of handling various tasks and balancing several roles in life can easily slow down a lot of people. Even the strongest of people we know have their moments of weakness on a bad day. Anxiety is not a new revelation when it comes to mental disorders, but it is taken lightly by people who do not understand what it feels like. Suffering from anxiety is like a constant pin prick to you that can cause minor distraction or a crippling break down.
Luckily, spotting anxiety is not as complicated as detecting depression in a person. Often self diagnosable, anxiety has telltale signs that are different from just worrying. The disorder is also easily treatable. If you think that you or a loved one is suffering from anxiety, keep an eye out for the 6 symptoms mentioned below and seek help accordingly.
1) Constant Feeling of Wrongness
People suffering from anxiety often have a persistent feeling of something being wrong or out of place at the back of their minds. This causes a sense of constant foreboding and pessimism, distrust and wariness in people. You will notice them being jumpy and easily surprised.
2) Shaky Hands, Muscle Tension and Excessive Sweating While Making Decisions
Decision making can make anyone a bit nervous. But easy ones such as picking a product, ordering food, etc. is mundane tasks that people do normally. An anxious person will get restless, twitch a lot, tense up and start sweating at the slightest hint of taking a stand and picking sides. Some may even feel faint and nauseous when asked for their opinion. They are thinking about the cons of choosing wrong too hard, leading to such a physical reaction.
3) Desperation To Escape From Confrontations
Every normal person tries to avoid a meaningless confrontation, but would do it if the occasion calls for it. People suffering from anxiety often cower and desperately try to get away from an incoming confrontation. They feel like they are being cornered and put in a spot, which triggers their instinct to take a flight instead of stand their ground and fight.
4) Panic Attacks and Hyperventilation
Panic attacks and hyperventilating are symptoms of advanced levels of anxiety. If you think that you feel breathless, sick and nauseous triggered by an instance, say being surrounded by a hundred unknown people, you are having a panic attack. Social anxiety is normal among a lot of stressed individuals, and seeking professional care will make you feel at ease.
5) Overthinking and Worrying Too Much
Obsessing over every single detail and splitting hairs of a mundane thought is overthinking. Worrying is a normal thing, but constantly worrying too much about everything is a flag you need to pay heed to.
6) Never-Ending Indigestion
Anxiety is known to trigger the overproduction of stomach acids. This in turn gives the person a constant state of indigestion, loose motions, acid reflux and stomach aches due to gastric acidity. If your condition persists over a week combined with a few of the above symptoms, you should talk to a professional to ease your worries.
September being the month of mental health awareness, stress on how seeking help can make your life easier, happier and free of unnecessary anxieties. Living in Wellbeing strives to provide mental health counselling. We also offer a platform for you to consult with professional counselors through our online mental health counselling in India. Get in touch with us to know more and start your journey towards healing.
