Worrying from morning to night? Check if you have this disorder

Anxiety is a condition that affects our organism as a whole: on thoughts, feelings and on the body. Anxiety can be a reaction to something real from the environment or something imagined. And of course, it can also be a trait that characterizes our personality if we are very meticulous, prone to increased worry, fear and the like. The problem arises if we experience it too often and/or too intensely. Anxiety disorders are among the most common disorders in the world.

When we are anxious, the thoughts "I'm losing ground under my feet", "I'm going crazy" appear; feelings of fear, panic, tension, anxiety, while sweating, trembling, rapid breathing, headache, muscle tension appear on the physical level. It's normal to sometimes feel anxious before a big presentation at work, but anxiety disorders go way beyond that as they can affect work, study, relationships and self-care and can turn into a serious disorder. It is a state when you worry about something all the time - from morning to night, it says Ordination.

1. Worrying is no longer helping you

A certain amount of worry helps a person get through the day, however, a little pressure can motivate you to complete the task and keep your life under control. But, worrying too much can be a symptom of an anxiety disorder, which is a common condition around the world. "The worry that comes because you have a test or an important meeting is good and it's called adjustment. If you worry so much that you are unable to prepare for the test or fail the exam because you freeze in front of the professor, that is already problematic," explained Aaron Fisher, professor of clinical psychology. Think about whether your anxiety is helping or hindering you, and if it's the latter, maybe it's a signal that you'd be living a better life if the anxiety didn't exist.

2. You've always been a warrior, but life has dealt you a huge change

While anxiety disorders will surface at any time in life, many scientists agree that there are specific traits that patients exhibit throughout life, even at a young age.

"Anxiety disorders often appear at a young age. People who suffer from them will describe themselves with the words that they have always been combative," explained Danielle Keenan-Miller, a psychologist, adding that such people cope with anxiety quite well until they experience major changes in their lives and then all the symptoms appear.

3. You recently had a traumatic experience

While some psychologists do not categorize PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) as an anxiety disorder, the experience of a very negative experience can affect the level of anxiety. The psychologist believes that even if it is not PTSD, people can develop new worries after a traumatic experience. For example, if they had a car accident, there is a strong concern about driving a car.

4. You've had multiple panic attacks

One panic attack does not mean you have an anxiety disorder, as they are a normal reaction to extreme fear. It is important to remember what a panic attack is - it is a "fight or flight" reaction to fear. An unpleasant feeling of heart palpitations, pain and extreme fear can panic a person, and fear of a panic attack itself can occur. The best therapy for panic attacks is exposure therapy to work on triggers.

5. Shape your life according to your fears

According to Ann Kring, professor of psychology, many people are functioning with panic disorder without realizing it because they will avoid thoughts that bother them and situations that make them anxious.

"Some will live with their fears by avoiding triggers, but change occurs when that unwanted problem pops up from somewhere," she added and emphasized the importance of therapy so that a person can continue to live a fulfilling life.

6. Anxiety prevents you from doing things that you would normally do

Nervousness in front of a crowd is normal, as is the fear of public speaking. But when being around other people becomes something that makes you dangerously uncomfortable, it may be a symptom of social anxiety. If in those situations your heart starts beating like crazy, you feel a rush of heat or nausea, then it's a different matter.

7. Physical symptoms also occur

Many anxiety disorder sufferers, especially those with generalized anxiety disorder, will at some point see a doctor with physical health concerns about headaches, stomach pain, and back pain, explains clinical psychology professor Carrie Bearden.

"People are confused and visit different doctors because they don't know what's wrong. If you constantly worry, and the mentioned physical symptoms also appear, then you can think about an anxiety disorder, and all the physical symptoms are related to it". Symptoms can include constant hunger and poor posture - all warning signs that you are on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

8. You often sleep poorly

We have all experienced a sleepless night due to anxiety at some point in our lives, but when insomnia becomes a regular occurrence, it also means a very negative impact on health.

"If you don't sleep the night before a public performance, that's perfectly OK, but if you don't sleep for weeks because you're afraid of that public performance, even though you don't think about the real stressor, it will greatly interfere with normal daily functioning," added the psychologist.

9. Anxiety brings you a lot of problems

Psychological disorders have been around for as long as humans have existed, which means that we all have, or will soon, experience symptoms of anxiety at least once.

The most important factor that will reveal whether it is a disorder is the answer to the question of how much anxiety disrupts your daily life. Are you skipping classes, skipping work, and still not going to see that movie you really wanted to see? If the answer is yes, it's time to discuss your problem with an expert.