How anxiety symptoms manifest themselves

Anxiety is a typical human response to stress or dangerous situations. In a state of anxiety, a person may experience feelings of fear, concern, and intense tension. In most cases, it is a natural mechanism that can protect and mobilize us to action. In smaller amounts, therefore, the presence of anxiety can be beneficial to a person. 

However, when anxiety becomes overwhelming, repetitive or perhaps uncontrollable, it can become a problem and lead to an anxiety disorder. Anxiety can take many forms, including social anxiety, specific phobias or more generalized anxiety disorder.

Symptoms and manifestations of anxiety

A typical primary manifestation on the emotional spectrum is unreasonable fear. A person with anxiety may experience intense fear for no apparent or adequate reason. They cannot then rationally evaluate real and perceived dangers (fear of being attacked, losing a job, or being perceived by others). This has an impact on decision-making processes and also on the results achieved and the feelings associated with them.

Another symptom of anxiety is a persistent state of tension or nervousness, which may be triggered by a particular subject, or the person affected may have no idea why they feel that way. If a person feels nervous or stressed for a long time, they may show increased irritability and become easily agitated. This irritability, as a symptom of anxiety, is often only able to be noticed by those around them, as a large number of people can hide the previous symptom.

However, anxiety can also be accompanied by physical manifestations. The main ones include recurrent headaches, muscle tension or digestive problems. The constant pressure often results in chronic fatigue, which may not correspond to physical exertion. Sleep problems may also be typical.

In the area of perception, a person with anxiety may experience feelings of not being able to control their thoughts or the situations around them. He or she feels that they cannot control anything. This may be compounded over time by exaggerated fears about possible danger or disaster and inventing catastrophic scenarios without any solutions. Concentration difficulties are also common.

Other symptoms of anxiety perceived by other people

Most often, people with anxiety resort to escape behaviours and social isolation. They try to avoid situations or places associated with anxiety and also limit social interactions for fear of anxiety. You may also notice the emergence of repetitive rituals that have a calming effect on the person. Then you may also see the aforementioned frequent irritability, short-tempered behaviour, and other visible changes in behaviour.

It is important to remember that anxiety can be successfully addressed and that there are many sources of support and treatment available. If you are suffering from symptoms of anxiety yourself or are experiencing symptoms like those of an anxiety disorder in a loved one, please do not hesitate to visit our clinic. Our experts are here for you.