Symptoms of anxiety can cover the full physical, emotional and psychological range. The main symptoms people experience may be heart palpitations, racing heart, shortness of breath, nausea, shaking, etc. In fact any of the symptoms listed below can be symptoms of anxiety. An anxiety attack is the experience of up to four of these symptoms, although people may have more. Over four is considered a panic attack. It is important to have symptoms checked out by your doctor to make sure there is nothing physically wrong. It is important that you don't self-diagnose.

The Anxiety symptoms are divided into the different classifications as shown below. Look at the different symptoms and their classifications. This helps to understand why a symtom is happening or why it continues to happen.

Fight and flight symptoms

These are physical symptoms that are related to the body's normal fight-or-flight response. Whenever fear or excessive anxiety occurs in our life, it triggers the fight-or-flight response. This response says "I am in danger, I need to either run away or stay and fight". The pitutary gland excretes adrenalin into the system to enable our body to do this. The heart rate increases, breathing is effected. The body is prepared for the superhuman feat it is expected to perform.

Unfortunately, when the fear or anxiety is internal, there is nothing external to fight. There is nowhere to run. We are caught with the internal physical response. These symptoms are senstive to the "what ifs" - fearful thinking that accompanies Anxiety Disorders. With every fearful thought, the fight-or-flight response is triggered, adrenalin released, and physical symptoms occur -> which increases the fearful thoughts -> more adrenalin released -> increased symptoms. This is the anxiety cycle involving fight-or-flight reponse.

Tension symptoms

These symptoms are related to our "tensing" up against an experience.

The muscles are contracted and held for long periods of time. It is a reaction of trying to resist what is happening. It can also include holding our breath, tightening of the muscles, frowning, clenching of hands and teeth/ jaw. It says "I don't like what is happening, I will resist to try and stop it happening."

A lot of the time we may actually be tensing our muscles but may not be aware of what we are doing. Sometimes we catch ourselves grinding our teeth or clenching our hands and we haven't realised we have been doing it for quite awhile. It is the same with tension of other muscle groups in our body. How many times during the day do we hold our breath as a way of resisting stress and anxiety?

Dissociation symptoms

These symptoms are related to trancing and staring into space. Many people can dissociate very easily and may have been doing so since childhood. It relates to going into another state of consciousness. This causes a distortion in the sensory experiences - such as seeing, hearing, feeling/ touch etc.

Symptoms due to not eating

Many people lose their appetite as a result of anxiety, panic attacks and Anxiety Disorders. This causes them to eat very little or eat meals that have very little nutrition. This causes energy levels to decrease. It also causes the various stomach symptoms such as nausea, burning stomach and stomach pains.

Symptoms due either hyperventilation, fight & flight, dissociation or not eating

These are the symptoms that can arise from various different causes. If you experience one or more of theses symptoms it can be important to identify to the cause. These symptoms are lightheadedness, dizziness, giddiness and feeling faint. If you experience any of these symptoms, try to identify the contributing factor. Are you trancing or staring into space? Do you experience other dissociative symptoms? Then this symptom can be caused by dissociation. If you are feeling this symptom and you experience some of the fight and flight symptoms then the symptom may be caused by the fight and flight response. Is your breathing rapid and shallow? Then it can be caused by hyperventilation (which is itself a fight and flight symptom). Are you eating well? Are you eating a balanced diet? If no, then it can be caused by not eating.

Effects of Anxiety Disorder

Looking at the actual experience of an Anxiety Disorder, it is not surprising that it is going to affect other aspects of our lives. Common effects are loss of sleep, loss of concentration and depression. These symptoms are a result of the high levels of anxiety, the emotional drain on our lives and overactive thinking.

The main categories of physical symptoms are as follows:

HEART SYMPTOMS

• racing or rapid heart beat (flight and flight response)
• heart palpitations (flight and flight response)
• 'missed' heart beats (flight and flight response)
• pounding heart (flight and flight response)

BREATHING SYMPTOMS

• breathing difficulties (can be a result of swallowing air, chest pain through tension or hyperventilation)
• choking sensation (tension)
• hyperventilation (flight and flight response)
• feel as if can't take another breath (can be a result of swallowing air, chest pain through tension or hyperventilation)
• tightening of the throat (tension)