12 Clues Somebody May Be Suffering From Anxiety

Almost one in five Americans suffer from anxiety, each year, which means you probably personally know approximately over 100 people with this problem.

Traditionally, some of the most common stressors have been moving house, changing jobs, getting married, going on a family vacation (yes, I know, it sounds ironic but it’s true), health issues, and, of course, financial worries.

And with jobs being less permanent, relationships failing at ever higher levels, and debt looming over so many families’ heads, the situation is not getting any better.

The problem is, the longer it takes for you to realize that you (or a close friend or family member) are burned out, stressed, and maybe even neurotic, the harder it is to undo that damage.

So, in this short report, I’ll look at a dozen signs that you, or somebody close to you, is suffering from anxiety and stress.

Fatigue

Because there are many reasons to feel fatigued, this by itself will usually not indicate that anxiety is behind it.

However, if you find you get really tired really easily, you also notice excessive worrying, and any of the following are true, then anxiety and stress might be at the heart of why you are constantly tired:

• You are constantly drained of energy.
• You cannot think clearly.
• You cry frequently.
• You feel tired before a social event, and not just after it.
• You have other physical symptoms, such as an upset stomach, a worse-than-usual headache.
• You still feel tired, even after a good night’s sleep.
• You suffer from insomnia (when you typically don’t).
• Your appetite isn’t what it was.
• Your muscles ache a lot.
• Your tea or coffee don’t perk you up like they usually do.

Feeling Agitated

By agitated, I mean physically agitated – i.e. your body is reacting to what it believes is a real and present danger, rather than something that is entirely in your head.

The sort of symptoms you can expect would be a racing heart, sweaty palms, dry mouth, and hands that shake uncontrollably.

All of this happens because your sympathetic nervous system, which is usually activated when it senses danger in an attempt to protect you, and is therefore helpful, goes into overdrive, leaving you debilitated.

The other problem, according to some studies, is that this over-excited state will last longer than it would do if it were triggered by real danger, instead of perceived danger (i.e. your anxiety).

Digestive Issues

This can take the form of either constipation or diarrhoea, as well as bloating, cramping, flatulence, and IBS.

This is perhaps to be expected, given that your gut is often highly sensitive to stress. (I know, for me, that my stomach is often the first place to be affected when I felt anxious about something.)

Again, if this is a one-time deal, then it’s probably not anxiety causing it, but if it’s a chronic condition, then it could be one more red flag.

Excessive Worrying

I’m not talking here about specific events or decisions, where the implications are massive, such as deciding to change jobs or moving to a new city. Life changes of this type of magnitude understandably cause worry, because the emotional and financial cost of making the wrong decision can be huge.

No, for this to qualify as excessive worrying, I’m talking about a chronic level of worrying, which can last for months, about everyday matters that under normal circumstances you would barely think twice about.

And it’s not just worrying that is temporarily distracting – it’s got to the point where you cannot focus or concentrate on anything else. It will likely affect your performance at work, for example, and can even render semi-automatic activities such as driving your car potentially dangerous.

Irritability

This is a common symptom, with around nine out of ten people reporting that they feel irritable during periods of high anxiety.

When you combine this with the excessive worrying, it’s maybe not too surprising that stressed out folks can be quick to lash out, even at those close to them, as they are often first in the firing line.

Things that would not normally annoy you blow up out of all proportion, and well-meaning actions from family and friends might be misconstrued, resulting in an unwarranted outburst (which you will probably regret later).

Isolationism

If you shy away from social events, especially if you usually enjoy them, then this too can be a sign that you’re anxious and stressed.

This dread may occur before the event (so look for unconvincing excuses as to why you shouldn’t attend), or during the event, or both.

During a social encounter, this anxiety may come over as shyness, but if you know this is atypical, then perhaps you are dealing with a case of anxiety.

Panic Attacks

These can be both frightening and debilitating, rendering the sufferer confused, dizzy, nauseated, and short of breath.

I have witnessed this close-up, and in that person’s case, it happened suddenly, with no real warning at all.

It appears to be triggered in public rather than in private, which may go hand in hand with the over-excited nervous system putting you in “freeze, flight, or fight” mode because of a perceived (but probably not real) danger.

Occasional panic attacks are not especially rare, as around one in five American adults can expect to experience one at least once in their lives, but only one in 33 have these panic attacks frequently enough to quality as a symptom of anxiety.

Phobias

I’m not talking here, of course, about merely disliking something – a phobia is a fear, usually irrational, that leaves you unable to function normally.

Common phobias involve a fear of spiders, snakes, heights, confined spaces, open spaces (agoraphobia, as we saw earlier, can be associated with panic attacks), and flying, but there are probably hundreds of recognized ones.

If somebody goes out of their way to avoid a situation or object, then it’s possible it’s a phobia rather than a general dislike.

Phobias tend to affect women more than men for some reason, although about one in eight people will experience a phobic reaction at some stage in their lives.

Problems Sleeping

This can take the form of difficulty getting to sleep in the first place, or trouble staying asleep throughout the night, and it’s estimated that around 80% of Americans (including children) have trouble getting enough sleep..

While it makes sense that you might have trouble sleeping if you’re chronically worried, and maybe agitated too, what’s interesting is that there is a strong correlation between childhood insomnia and anxiety disorders in later life.

As you would maybe expect, however, when you successfully address the anxiety, the sleep problems often diminish or go away too.

Tense Muscles

For reasons that scientists do not yet fully understand, there is a close correlation between feeling anxious or stressed, and your muscles tensing up for no apparent reason.

Regardless of the reason, muscle relaxation therapy can also often relieve anxiety.

Trouble Concentrating

This seems to affect adults more than children, with as many as 90% of adults suffering from anxiety being unable to concentrate.

And, perhaps not surprisingly, the worse their anxiety, the worse their concentration.

Research has also shown that anxiety can have an adverse effect on your short-term memory, which in turn can worsen performance during times of high stress.

The good news is that this problem is not permanent – once your anxiety is reduced or eliminated, your mental powers will return to their original state, as I found out when I was clinically depressed, highly stressed, and permanently anxious.

Once again, if you cannot concentrate, this alone is not necessarily a symptom of anxiety, since this lack of focus can be caused by other conditions, such as depression or ADHD.

Uneasiness

While less common in adults, this is often a contributory factor to a diagnosis of anxiety.

If somebody describes themselves as “feeling on edge”, without necessarily being able to put their finger on what the problem is, then this is the sort of restlessness I’m talking about.

And like excessive worrying, if these feelings that something just isn’t right continue for weeks or even months, and several other signs listed in this report are observed, then anxiety may well be the issue.

Conclusion

There are other symptoms that you may experience (or witness), but these are twelve of the most common ones.

As I said several times in this report, any one symptom by itself is likely not going to lead to a diagnosis of anxiety or stress, but several, all occurring at the same time, may well.

So, if you recognize these symptoms in yourself, it’s time to start taking action.

And if you see warning signs in somebody close to you, then broach the matter with caution, because they may well lash out at you even though you only have their best interests at heart.

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. GAPS Diet