Combatting severe anxiety: 20 physical and mental signs
Anxiety can affect people differently. Some may be able to ignore those feelings and push through with their day, while others may find it debilitating. Learning how to spot the signs of severe anxiety, and work through your emotions, could help you to feel more at peace.
Feeling worried about certain events or memories can be a normal part of life. However, severe anxiety may prevent you from moving past them. Certain people may find that they are unable to let go of thoughts or their attached emotions, even decades into the future.
The NHS describes anxiety as ‘a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear’. This can lead to panic attacks or anxiety attacks which can have an impact on your overall well-being.
Understanding some of the physical and mental symptoms that may occur could help you to quickly identify whether you are experiencing anxiety, or if it is a mild worry. This could allow you to put measures into place to alleviate symptoms and get on with your day.
As anxiety is primarily in the mind, you might want to first discover some of these symptoms. This can help you to change your thought patterns to try to avoid triggering any memories or thoughts that may make you feel anxious.
Although anxiety may be classed as a mental health problem, the effects don’t always remain in your mind. Those who struggle with anxious thoughts may find that they also exhibit physical symptoms.
Each of us may deal with concerns and setbacks as part of daily life. Worrying about something temporarily, or feeling negative for a short while, isn’t necessarily a problem.
When experiencing an anxiety disorder, an individual may find that these symptoms last more than just a few days. This can cause many problems including:
The triggers for severe anxiety may differ depending on the person. What one person may find reasonable may be overwhelming for another. You might also find that some people have several trigger factors, while others may have anxiety with a recurring theme.
Dealing with anxiety is utterly exhausting. Those without mental health conditions, or experience of them, may not understand why you feel so tired. However, your feelings of exhaustion are valid, especially if you have tried to remain strong for quite some time.
In the worst cases, an individual may experience suicidal ideation. This may arise from feelings of low self-worth, or even be seen as a better alternative to experiencing regular anxious states.
If you suffer from anxiety and notice it getting worse, or becoming less manageable, it is imperative that you contact your GP or local crisis team. Mental health support may have a long waiting list, so making use of local services and the support of your family, friends, workplace, and even religious or social groups could help to keep you going.
Talking therapies can be a great way of working through the issues that cause you anxiety. While some people may be able to forget about the issues, this is often only temporary. Burying your worries may result in them cropping up again in the future. Instead, you need to work through those thoughts and emotions until you have found a resolution.
Keeping a journal may also help you to note down any emotions and concerns you have. This could also show great insight into when your anxiety mostly occurs. It may be that you suffer more at night, or after going to a particular place. Until you have professional help in place, you may be able to use journalling to help you avoid triggers and document your journey.
Open communication can also be important. Speak to your partner, parent, or a trusted person about your concerns. They may be able to help alleviate some of the symptoms in the short-term, but also signpost and support you for long-term solutions.
Dealing with severe anxiety can greatly impact your life. You may find you are unable to enjoy some of the nicer aspects of your day because those thoughts weigh heavy on your mind.
Accepting that you need support with your anxiety and wider mental health can be a great first step. You aren’t alone in your journey.
Anxiety can affect anyone at any point in their lives, regardless of whether they have existing mental health problems or not. Learning how to spot the signs could allow you to overcome stressful situations and better understand your anxiety.
If you have some ideas regarding how to spot and cope with anxiety, or work on wellness in general, you might want to think about writing a guest post for Mindful Me.
Together, we can feel better both inside and outside ourselves, and break the stigma associated with struggles.
Freelance writer for 3+ years, currently working in marketing.
I love walks in the woods, Asian dramas, and cooking up delicious food.
Do You Live with Anxiety? Here Are 8 Tips for Coping Anxiety is a normal…
Intrusive thoughts: 5 tips to prevent them from dominating your mind Intrusive thoughts can be…
Maladaptive daydreaming: a happy story or a prison in the mind? Many of us daydream…
Setting boundaries: 6 tips for happy relationships Boundaries can be a healthy part of any…
Is it possible to recover from mental illness? 7 tips from personal experience Mental illness…
Learning to understand and manage stress: 7 tips for tranquillity Stress has become an inevitable…