Understanding Anxiety Symptoms

Ever felt your heart race before a big test or a job interview? That jittery, on-edge feeling is anxiety—and it's something we all experience. But what happens when anxiety doesn't fade away? When does stress start to linger and affect your sleep, mood, and even your body? That’s when anxiety becomes more than just a feeling.

1.0What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is the body's normal reaction to stress. It can work to our advantage in short periods, such as when it helps us concentrate or respond to a threat. However, when anxiety is ongoing or interferes with daily life, it can become an anxiety disorder. Individuals with this condition tend to worry excessively, even about things that may seem insignificant to others.

2.0Biological Basis of Anxiety

Anxiety is not a disorder that occurs on its own; rather, it is a mixed reaction of several brain structures and hormonal imbalances, which include: 

• Amygdala: A part of the brain that processes fear and emotional responses in humans. In anxiety, this part becomes overactive, causing increased emotional responses to perceived threats. 
• HPA Axis: The hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands work together to help the body tackle stress and maintain homeostasis. It is the epicentre for releasing cortisol, which helps calm the stress. 
• Neurotransmitters: Imbalances in GABA, serotonin, and norepinephrine also trigger anxiety symptoms. Low GABA levels are commonly found in people experiencing chronic anxiety.

3.0Psychological Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder

Individuals with anxiety disorders may have a combination of mental, emotional, and physical symptoms. Some common symptoms of anxiety disorder are:

• Excessive Worrying: Worrying overmuch about daily things, even when you don't have a good reason to be worried.
• Restlessness: A Tense or restless feeling, as if you can't sit still or calm down.
• Irritability: Getting more frustrated or short-tempered than usual.
• Difficulty Concentrating: Trouble concentrating, or feeling like your mind goes blank.
• Sleep Problems: Trouble sleeping, staying asleep, or waking up groggy.

4.0Physical Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety doesn't only impact the mind — it can take a toll on the body. Many people first experience the physical symptoms of anxiety before realising that it's an issue with mental health.

Some of these physical symptoms are:

• Racing Heart: Having the sensation that your heart is racing or missing a beat.
• Shortness of Breath: Difficulty breathing or needing to catch your breath.
• Muscle Tension: Shoulders, neck, or jaw pain or tightness.
• Headaches: Unusual or frequent headaches.
• Upset Stomach: Nausea, stomach cramps, or digestive discomfort, such as diarrhoea or constipation.
• Sweating: Even in the absence of heat or physical activity.
• Shaking or Trembling: Particularly in the hands or legs.

These symptoms are frightening, mainly when they occur suddenly. Most people fear they're experiencing a heart attack or other medical emergency when it's anxiety.

5.0Symptoms of an Anxiety Attack

On occasion, anxiety can hit suddenly and forcefully. This is an anxiety attack, or more accurately, a panic attack. These attacks tend to peak within 10–20 minutes but appear to last much longer.

Symptoms of anxiety attack episodes are:

• A feeling of impending doom or fear
• Chest pain or discomfort
• A sense of choking
• Being detached from yourself or reality (depersonalisation)
• Numbness or tingling, particularly in the hands or feet
• Dizziness or faintness

Although panic attacks are harmless, they can be frightening. Most people who have one for the first time feel they're dying or that they have a severe medical condition.

6.0Anxiety Symptoms in Women Vs Men

Although anxiety is not gender specific, it often occurs differently for both men and women due to various reasons. Let’s compare these symptoms in women and men: 

7.0Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and Depression are two stressful conditions that often occur together; however, these are completely different conditions with a few similar symptoms. Here is a quick comparison between these two disorders: 

8.0Fight-or-Flight Mechanism

The fight-or-flight mechanism is the body’s strategy of survival by triggering a stressor and sympathetic nervous system, which responds by: 

• Increasing heart rate
• Boosting oxygen supply
• Releasing adrenaline and cortisol
• Redirecting blood from the gut to the muscles

Although an important mechanism in emergencies, constant activation of this response due to chronic anxiety can lead to long-term physical symptoms of anxiety. These may range from normal symptoms like fatigue, hormonal imbalance, to foetal ones like weakened immunity.