Anxiety Symptoms: Disorders, Descriptions, Causes, Treatment

Anxiety can cause 100s of symptoms: feeling dizzy, trembling, numbness, tingling, short of breath, nausea, nervous, heart palpitations, sweating, panic attacks, and many more.

In addition to the above, other signs and symptoms of anxiety include:

• Strong feeling of impending doom and foreboding
• A warm sensation that begins in the stomach
• Chest pain
• Headaches
• Neck tension
• Stomach upset, nervous stomach
• Pulsing in the ear
• Burning skin
• Electric shock feeling
• Shooting pains in the face
• Skipped heart beats
• Weakness in legs
• Feeling like you are going crazy
• Feeling like you might pass out
• Inability to rest
• Sleep problems
• Tight band around the head
• Tight band around the rib cage
• Tight stomach
• Ringing in the ears

And many more. For a comprehensive list of anxiety signs and symptoms with descriptions, explanations, and what to do, including severe anxiety symptoms, see below.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is defined as:

• A feeling of worry, unease, apprehension, or nervousness about an imminent event or future situation with an uncertain outcome.
• Distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear or danger or misfortune.[1]
• A state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation, often impairing physical and psychological functioning.

Anxiety occurs when we behave (think and act) in an apprehensive manner, such as when worrying about a future situation, circumstance, or event.

Worry can be defined as:

• mental distress or agitation resulting from concern usually for something impending or anticipated.[2]

Worry can be thought of as “negatively anticipating” that some future situation, circumstance, or event could be harmful or unpleasant. Notice that worry is driven by the “fear” that something harmful or unpleasant could occur. Since worry is a behavior that creates anxiety, fear (or being afraid) is a central tenet of anxiety.

With this in mind, anxiety is not a force or "thing" in itself. It's a state of uneasiness that is created when we use a particular style of behavior, such as worry.

What is anxiety disorder?

Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. This is normal. Anxiety turns into a “disorder,” however, when it and its symptoms and feelings interfere with a normal lifestyle.

“Disorder” can be defined as: a condition that disrupts normal functioning (physical, mental, lifestyle, etc.).

If anxiety is interfering with your normal lifestyle, preventing you from doing things you normally would, or causing problems in your life, it can be considered a “disorder.”

What are anxiety symptoms?

The moment we believe we could be in danger, the body activates the stress response that secretes stress hormones into the bloodstream where they travel to targeted spots to bring about specific physiological, psychological, and emotional changes that enhance the body’s ability to deal with a threat—to either fight with or flee from it. This survival reaction is the reason why it’s often referred to as the fight or flight response, the emergency response, or the fight, flight, or freeze response (some people freeze when they are afraid like a “deer caught in headlights”).[3][4]

The stress response is our ally when in danger. Because of the many changes the stress response brings about, stress responses stress the body. A body that is stressed can exhibit symptoms of stress.

Anxiety symptoms are symptoms of stress. They are called anxiety symptoms because apprehensive behavior, such as worry, is the main source of the stress that stresses the body, which produces symptoms.

Because each body is somewhat chemically unique, the type, number, intensity, duration, and frequency of anxiety symptoms will vary from person to person. For example, one person might have one or just a few mild anxiety symptoms whereas another person might have all of them and to a severe degree. The severity of anxiety disorder will also have a bearing on the type, number, frequency, intensity, and duration of symptoms.

We have included a comprehensive list of anxiety symptoms, including physical symptoms, psychological symptoms, and emotional symptoms farther down this web page. Recovery Support members can view a more complete list of anxiety symptoms in the Symptoms section (chapter 9) in the Recovery Support area of our website.

Some medications can cause side effects that are similar to symptoms of anxiety. If you suspect some of your symptoms are medication side effects, discuss them with your doctor and pharmacist.

Are anxiety disorder symptoms different from anxiety symptoms?

No. Anxiety disorder symptoms and anxiety symptoms are the same. The only difference between the two would be, as anxiety and its persistence increases, so will the number, type, intensity, frequency, and duration of anxiety symptoms increase. Otherwise, they are one and the same.

Anxiety symptoms in women and men

The majority of anxiety symptoms in women and men are similar, but there are some anxiety symptom differences.[5][6]

For example, since stress hormones affect other hormones, women can experience a wide range of symptoms around the female menstruation cycle. Many women experience increases in anxiety symptoms due to their monthly cycle.

Women can also experience an increase in symptoms due to the biological changes of pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and menopause.

Women are also more emotionally-centered than men, so their anxiety symptoms can seem more numerous and daunting.

Men also have challenges, as stress hormones also affect male hormones. Men who are more emotionally-centered can also struggle more with anxiety symptoms.

For additional information, see our anxiety signs and symptoms list below.

Panic Attack Disorder (PAD) - which is the same as Anxiety Attacks

Anxiety attacks, also referred to as panic attacks, are episodes of high degree anxiety (fear), feelings, and symptoms.[7][8] Panic attacks often occur suddenly and 'out of the blue.' Sometimes the cause of a panic attack is obvious, such as when you feel in immediate danger. But at other times, panic attacks can seem to occur “out of the blue” and for no apparent reason.

Panic attacks and their symptoms can last from a few moments to hours. During the attack, most people feel an incredible amount of fear and foreboding, which is often accompanied by a strong urge to escape, strong sensations and symptoms, a feeling that you are about to lose control, and for many, that they might even die.[9][10]

The feelings, sensations, and symptoms that accompany an anxiety attack can be so strong that just the thought of having another attack of anxiety creates the strong feelings of anxiety and panic.

There is no question that anxiety attacks/panic attacks can be strong physiological, psychological, and emotional experiences, which is why many people fear them. Additionally, anxiety attacks can create many symptoms and feelings that many panic disorder sufferers come to fear because of their seemingly overpowering nature.[11]

Anxiety Attacks Disorder / Panic Attack Disorder (PAD) symptoms:

• intense feeling of doom and gloom
• racing heart
• lightheadedness
• heart palpitations
• sweating
• nervous stomach
• trembling
• feeling like you are about to lose control
• feeling like you are about to go crazy
• feeling overwhelmed
• sudden and strong urge to escape
• heightened fear and apprehension
• increased stimulation
• pins and needles
• throat tightness
• muscle weakness
• weak in the knees
• super sensitive senses and nerves

To name a few symptoms.

You can visit our anxiety attacks and panic attacks pages for additional information.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Everyone is anxious from time to time. And many of us have some aspects of life that we worry about more than others, such as speaking in public, taking an important exam, an important job interview, completing an important project, about health and medical matters, or about participating in an important sporting event.[12][13]

People who experience generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), however, worry about many things and more often than those who don’t experience generalized anxiety. Furthermore, they also experience intense and unrelenting worry. While they know their worry is unhealthy, they feel powerless to stop their excessive worrying. They even find themselves worrying about minor things, such as being late for an engagement, being called upon to speak in a group, or getting their chores done on time.

Generalized anxiety disorder doesn't mean your anxiety is worse than other types of anxiety disorder, but that you worry about more things and more often than others.

Signs and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder include:

• a general feeling of uneasiness
• persistently being on alert for danger
• persistent worry
• an overly cautious approach to life
• a persistent feeling of being unsafe
• overly reactive to things that you perceive could be threatening
• many of the physical, psychological, and emotional symptoms of anxiety

Visit our Generalized Anxiety Disorder page for additional information.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is described as having unwanted thoughts and actions that seem difficult to impossible to stop. While many people worry, those who experience obsessive compulsive disorder feel they can't stop worrying, or if they do, something bad will happen.[14][15][16]

The strong desire to feel safe from harm is at the root of obsessive compulsive disorder. To achieve that safety, those who experience obsessive compulsive disorder believe they have to be always on the lookout for danger, and then do whatever they can to avoid it.

This constant “surveilling for danger” is at the heart of obsessions, and finding external ways to “feel” safe is at the heart of OCD rituals. In a sense, people who experience OCD believe they have to perform certain actions until they “feel” safe from the imagined harm.

Common rituals include touching a certain object enough times, organizing things, counting something enough times, and doing things enough to where they “feel” that everything is going to be okay.

People who experience OCD place great importance on “feeling safe.”

Common obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms and signs include:

• relentless worry
• underlying fear
• an underlying sense of danger
• inability to self-soothe
• nervousness
• agitation
• sleep issues
• and many of anxiety's physiological, psychological, and emotional symptoms

And many more symptoms.

Visit our Obsessive Compulsive Disorder page for more information.

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

Social Anxiety Disorder is described as being overly anxious in social situations. It's not that social anxiety disorder sufferers are afraid of people, but rather that they fear what people might think of them and how those people might react. Fear of rejection and judgement is a major concern for the socially anxious.

This fear of being judged, humiliated, or rejected, especially in front of others, can be so extreme that it prevents them from doing everyday things like eating in front of people or going places like the store or the gym. The fear in social settings is so intense that it feels beyond their ability to manage.

About one in ten people suffer from social anxiety. When not dealt with, social anxiety can minimize the person's potential and quality of life.

Socially anxious people generally struggle with self-esteem and self-worth issues. Social phobia is another term often used to describe social anxiety.

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) Symptoms:

• nervousness around people who are deemed to be important
• overly concerned about what people think
• overly concerned about how people might react
• hyper sensitive to rejection
• overly sensitive to criticism
• overly critical of others
• and many of anxiety's physiological, psychological, and emotional symptoms

There are many more symptoms.

Visit our Social Anxiety Disorder page for more information.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is characterized as having strong anxious and distressing reactions to a past traumatic event. The memories, flashbacks, nightmares, and night terrors of the event can be so vivid that they provoke seemingly uncontrollable anxious reactions and symptoms.[17][18] Many people who struggle with PTSD feel helpless to eliminate the negative memories, flashbacks, nightmares, and night terrors and the strong reactions and symptoms that accompany them.

Post traumatic Stress Disorder has been revised in the new DSM V and is under revision for the ICD-11.[19] New research includes cross-cultural factors and complex PTSD. These two additional considerations ought to be considered when you speak with your physician. In brief, complex PTSD is reoccurring exposure to a type of traumatic event repeatedly or cumulative or  over a period of time  within a specific context or environment.[20]

Events that can lead to PTSD are war, natural disasters, physical conditions, man-made traumas in child and adolescents, terrorism, road accidents, sexual assault, and refugee status.

Cross-cultural considerations are necessary for accuracy of diagnosis as well as differential diagnosis from Prolonged grief and compassion fatigue. Both of these differential diagnoses can present the same symptomatology  Being a witness or having experienced secondary exposure to the traumatic event needs to be taken into consideration in the discussion of PTSD. Ask your physician for these considerations.

Some people say that having PTSD is similar to having panic attacks 24/7 and feeling there is nothing you can do to stop them.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms:

• reoccurring memories, flashbacks, and nightmares that seem unstoppable
• on going anxiety and worry
• underlying fear and trepidation
• persistently feeling unsafe and at risk
• avoiding situations that remind you of the event
• avoiding situations that are associated with reminders and the event itself
• overly vigilant in uncertain situations
• avoiding others
• negative appraisals about yourself and negative outlook on the world
• feelings of persistent guilt and/or shame
• risky/destructive behaviour
• a persistent internal struggle
• and many of anxiety's physiological, psychological, and emotional symptoms

Plus many more symptoms.

For additional information, visit our Post Traumatic Stress Disorder page.

Phobias

Everyone is afraid of something. Phobias, however, are extreme fears that seem unusually strong and encompassing.[21][22] A fear of heights, small spaces, dogs, germs, snakes, spiders, being in a situation that would be difficult to escape, and flying are examples of specific phobias.

Common phobia symptoms across the majority of phobias:

• overly afraid of a person, object, situation, or circumstance
• heightened sense of danger near your feared subject
• persistent worry and/or concern about your feared subject
• a strong desire to avoid the feared person, object, situation, or circumstance
• acknowledgement the fear is irrational, unreasonable, and exaggerated
• and many of anxiety's physiological, psychological, and emotional symptoms

Phobias can include all of the physical symptoms we list below.

Visit our Phobias page for additional information.

Anxiety treatment

There are many anxiety treatment options. Research has found that the most effective treatment for anxiety disorder is the combination of good self-help information, support, and therapy (often referred to as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy).[23][24][25][26][27]

Moreover, research has found that therapy delivered at a distance via teletherapy or over the internet (ICBT) is as effective, if not more so, than in-person therapy.[28][29]. Distanced therapy (ICBT) has also been shown to be cost-effective.[30]

Therapy is particularly effective when delivered by therapists who have personally experienced and have successfully overcome anxiety disorder in their own lives. Having personally experienced and successfully overcome anxiety disorder means not only do they understand your struggle and how anxiety disorder can impact a person's life but they also understand what is required to overcome it. This personal experience is a valuable asset in the anxiety disorder recovery process, including treating symptoms.[31]

Visit our Anxiety Therapy page for information about how our coaching/therapy option works and the many coaches/therapists available.

Did you know that treating anxiety symptoms is not all there is to addressing anxiety disorder? Click here for more information about the Two Levels of Anxiety Disorder Recovery.

For information about anxiety, its symptoms, and its treatment, see our Anxiety 101 section.

Anxiety symptoms listing:

Anxiety, no matter the type, affects the body the same way. As a result, the following anxiety symptoms can occur with any type of anxiety disorder. The type, number, intensity, duration, and frequency of anxiety symptoms is generally determined by the degree of anxiety experienced.

Anxiety Symptoms

For information about anxiety symptoms, click on any of the symptoms of anxiety links below where available.

Body Anxiety Symptoms (symptoms of anxiety associated with the body in general):

• Allergies and Anxiety; Allergy Problems, increase in allergies (number, sensitivity, reactions, lengthier reactions)
• Anxiety cough
• Anxiety Attack Symptoms and signs
• Asthma and anxiety
• Back pain, stiffness, tension, pressure, soreness, spasms, immobility in the back or back muscles
• Blanching (looking pale, loss of color in the face or skin)
• Blushing, turning red, flushed face, flushed skin, blushing, red face or skin
• Body aches, parts of or your entire body feels sore and achy, feels like your body and muscles are bruised
• Body jolts
• Body zaps
• Body shakes
• Body trembling, shaking, anxiety symptoms
• Body tremors
• Body temperature increase or decrease, change in body temperature
• Brain zaps
• Burning skin, itchy, crawly, prickly or other skin sensations, skin sensitivity, numbness on the skin
• Burning skin sensation on the face, neck, ears, scalp, or shoulders
• Buzzing sensation in the feet, toes, hands, fingers, arms, legs
• Chest pain anxiety symptoms
• Chest pains anxiety symptoms
• Chest tightness feeling
• Choking
• Choking feeling in throat
• Chronic Fatigue, exhaustion, super tired, worn out
• Chronic pain and anxiety
• Clumsiness, feeling clumsy, co-ordination problems with the limbs or body
• Cold chills, feeling cold all the time
• Cold flashes, flash
• Cold hands and feet
• Craving sugar, sweets, chocolate, usual craving for sugar and sweets
• Crazy thoughts
• Difficulty speaking, moving mouth, talking, co-ordination problems with the mouth or tongue
• Dizziness, feeling lightheaded, dizzy, feeling dizzy
• Electric shock feeling, body zaps
• Excess of energy, you feel you can't relax
• Falling dropping sensation
• Feeling faint
• Feel ill and sick, yet can't describe how you feel but that you feel ill in some way
• Feel like you are going to pass out
• Feel cold, chilly, cold all the time
• Feel wrong, different, foreign, odd, or strange
• Feels like floor is moving, swaying
• Flu-like symptoms, feel sick or ill, feel like you are coming down with the flu
• Flushed face, red face, flushed skin
• Frequent urination
• Frequent urination at night
• Frequent urination in men
• Hair loss, hair is thinning, or clumps of hair are falling out, balding
• Headaches, migraine headaches, anxiety headaches
• Head and Brain Zaps
• Head and brain zaps - medication causes
• Heart palpitations, racing heart
• Hot flash, flashes
• Hyperactivity, excess energy, nervous energy
• Hypersensitivity; super sensitive nerves, hearing, touch, tastes
• Increased or decreased sex drive
• Infection - increased infections, persistent infection
• Itchy, Tingling, Crawling, Pins and Needles, Prickly Feelings under the skin or anywhere inside or deep inside the body
• Joint popping, cracking and anxiety
• Low Energy, Episodes of Lethargy
• Motion sickness feeling
• Mouth or throat clicking or grating sound/noise when you move your mouth or jaw, such as when talking
• Muscle tension, stiffness, aches, pains
• Muscles that vibrate, jitter, tremor, or shake when used
• Muscle twitching
• Muscle weakness
• Nausea
• Nausea vomiting
• Neck, back, shoulder tension and stiffness
• Neck tension
• Nervous cough
• Night sweats, waking up in a sweat, profusely sweating at night, anxiety night sweats
• No energy, feeling lethargic, tired, exhausted, chronic fatigue
• Numb tingling hands
• Numbness
• Numbness tingling, numbness and tingling
• Numbness and tingling fingers
• Numbness and tingling, and other skin sensations on hands, feet, face, head, or any other places on the body
• Overly sensitive nerves anywhere on or in the body, overly sensitive nerves to the touch
• Panic attack disorder symptoms
• Pins and needles: all over, in the hands and feet, fingers, left arm, etc.
• Pounding heart, heart feels like it is beating too hard
• Pulsing or throbbing muscles. Pulsing or throbbing sensation
• Racing heart, heart palpitations
• Red skin, skin looks like or is turning red
• Restless Leg Syndrome; Anxiety and Restless legs
• Rib or rib cage tightness, pressure, or feeling like a tight band around the rib cage
• Sexual Dysfunction, sexual uninterest
• Shaking anxiety feelings
• Shooting pains anxiety symptoms
• Shooting pains, stabbing pains, and odd pressures in the neck, head, or face
• Shooting pains in the face
• Shooting pains in the scalp or head
• Skipped heart beats
• Sore or tight scalp, headaches, neck tension
• Startle easily
• Sudden urge to escape or run away
• Sweating, profuse, excessive, uncontrollable sweating
• The floor feels like it is moving either down or up, swaying
• Tightness in the ribs or rib cage area, may also feel like a tight band around the ribs or rib cage area.
• Tingling numb hands
• Tingling, tingly, pins and needles sensations - anywhere on the body, including the hands, feet, legs, arms, head, mouth, chest, groin area
• Throat or mouth clicking or grating sound/noise when you move your mouth or jaw, such as when talking
• TMJ
• Trembling, shaking, tremors
• Twitching
• Unsteadiness, dizziness, feeling dizzy or lightheaded
• Urgency to urinate, sudden urge to go to the washroom, sudden urge to pee
• Warm spells
• Weak - feel weak, weakness, low energy, light, soft, like you may faint
• Weak legs, arms, or muscles
• Weak limbs/extremities
• Weight gain; sudden weight gain
• Weight loss; sudden weight loss

Chest Anxiety Symptoms (symptoms of anxiety associated with the chest and chest area):

• Anxiety Chest Tremors feelings symptoms
• Anxiety Cough
• Asthma symptoms and attacks
• Chest pain anxiety symptoms
• Chest tightness anxiety symptoms
• Esophageal spasms
• Heart attack or anxiety attack (panic attack)
• Heart Palpitations
• Feel like you have to force yourself to breathe
• Find it hard to breath, feeling smothered
• Excessive yawning anxiety
• Nervous Cough
• Out of breath anxiety
• Racing Heart
• Rib or rib cage tightness, pressure, or feeling like a tight band around the rib cage
• Shooting chest pains anxiety symptoms
• Shortness of breath
• Short of breath stress symptoms
• Shooting sharp stabbing pains in the chest
• Tightness, pressue, fullness, pain in the chest

Emotions (see mood - anxiety symptoms regarding emotions, mood, and feelings)

Fears Anxiety Symptoms:

• A heightened fear of what people think of you
• Afraid of being trapped in a place with no exits
• Constant feeling of being overwhelmed.
• Fear of being in public
• Fear of dying
• Fear of losing control
• Fear of impending doom
• Fear of making mistakes or making a fool of yourself to others
• Fear of passing out
• Fear that you are losing your mind
• Fears about irrational things, objects, circumstances, or situations
• Fears of going crazy, of dying, of impending doom, of normal things, unusual feelings and emotions, unusually frightening thoughts or feelings
• Feeling afraid all the time
• Heightened self awareness, or self-consciousness
• Need to find nearest washrooms before you can feel comfortable
• Need to seat near exits

Head Anxiety Symptoms (symptoms of anxiety associated with the head):

• Anxiety headaches, migraines headaches
• Brain fog
• Burning, itchy, tight scalp
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Frequent headaches, migraine headaches
• Feeling like there is a tight band around your head, pressure, tightness
• Hair loss, hair is thinning, or clumps of hair are falling out
• Having a humming, droning, rumbling, throbbing, vibrating-like, hissing, fizzing, or other types of sounds in your head
• Headaches, migraines
• Head, neck or shoulder tightness, stiffness, or pain
• Head zaps, head tremors. brain zaps
• Giddiness
• Numbness
• Numbness tingling, numbness and tingling
• Shooting pains, stabbing pains, and odd pressures in the neck, head, or face
• Shooting pains in the face
• Shooting pains in the scalp or head
• Tingling in Head
• When you close your eyes you feel like are beginning to, or will, float upwards
• Sore jaw that feels like a tooth ache
• TMJ (Temporo-Mandibular Joint) - clenching of the jaw or grinding of the teeth

Hearing & Ear Anxiety Symptoms (symptoms of anxiety involving the ears and hearing):

• Ear popping and ear pressure symptoms
• Feel like there is something stuck in your ear, that your ear canal it plugged or blocked, that there is a pebble in your ear that you can't get out
• Having a humming, droning, rumbling, throbbing, vibrating-like, hissing, fizzing, or other types of sounds in your head
• Low rumbling sounds
• Reduced hearing, frequent or intermittent reduced hearing or deafness in one or both ears
• Ringing in the ears
• Pulsing in the ears, throbbing sound in the ear(s)
• Tickle or itch in your ear that you can't seem to get at
• Tinnitus and Anxiety

Heart Anxiety Symptoms (symptoms of anxiety associated with the heart):

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Chest pains anxiety symptoms
• Concern about the heart
• Find it hard to breath, feeling smothered, shortness of breath
• Frequent yawning to try and catch your breath
• Heart attack or anxiety attack (panic attack)
• Heart Palpitations – beating hard or too fast, rapid heartbeat
• Heart - Irregular heart rhythms, flutters or ‘skipped’ beats, tickle in the chest that makes you cough
• Pounding heart, heart feels like it is beating too hard
• Radiating pain in the left shoulder and arm
• Shooting chest pains
• Shortness of breath
• Stabbing pains in the back, fear heart problem
• Tight band around the chest, fear heart problem

You can find out if you are having a heart attack or anxiety attack (panic attack)

Mind Anxiety Symptoms (symptoms of anxiety associated with the mind and thinking):

• Afraid of everything
• Altered state of reality, consciousness, or universe feeling
• Brain Fog
• Crazy thoughts
• Deja Vu, a feeling like you've done or experienced something before
• Depersonalization
• Derealization
• Desensitization
• Difficulty concentrating, short-term memory loss
• Difficulty speaking
• Difficulty thinking
• Disorientation
• Easily distracted
• Fear of going crazy
• Fear of losing control
• Fear of impending doom
• Feelings of unreality
• Frequent feeling of being overwhelmed, or that there is just too much to handle or do
• Having difficulty concentrating
• Memory loss
• Nightmares, bad dreams
• Obsession about sensations or getting better
• Racing Thoughts / Racing Mind
• Slow motion feeling
• Repetitive thinking or incessant ‘mind chatter’
• Short-term learning impairment, have a hard time learning new information
• Short-term memory impairment, can't remember what I did a few days, hours, or moments ago
• Spaced out feelings, feeling spaced out
• "Stuck" thoughts; thoughts, mental images, concepts, songs, or melodies that 'stick' in your mind and replay over and over again.
• Trapped in your mind feeling
• Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
• You often feel you are carrying the world on your shoulders

Mood Symptoms; Emotion Symptoms (symptoms of anxiety associated with mood, emotions, and feelings):

• Always feeling angry and lack of patience
• Chronic Fatigue Anxiety Symptom, Syndrome
• Depersonalization
• Depression; Feeling Depressed; Low Mood
• Dramatic mood swings
• Emotionally blunted, flat, or numb
• Emotions feel numb; emotionally numb
• Emotional flipping (dramatic mood swings)
• Emotions feel wrong
• Everything is scary, frightening
• Feeling down in the dumps
• Feeling like things are unreal or dreamlike
• Frequently being on edge or 'grouchy'
• Frustration, frustrated, anxiety frustration
• Feel like crying for no apparent reason
• Have no feelings about things you used to
• Irritability, irritated, easily annoyed
• Mood swings
• Not feeling like yourself, detached from loved ones, emotionally numb
• Sudden urge to escape or run away
• Underlying anxiety, apprehension, or fear
• You feel like you are under pressure all the time

Mouth, Voice, Stomach, and Digestive System Anxiety Symptoms (symptoms of anxiety involving the mouth, voice, stomach, and digestive system):

• Bad taste in the mouth and anxiety
• A tinny, metallic, or ammonia, or unusual smell or taste
• Aerophagia (swallowing too much air, stomach distention, belching)
• Burning mouth, feeling like the inside of your mouth is burning, or tingling, or like pins and needles, or all of these together or at different times
• Burping, belching, frequent or excessive burping and belching, gas
• Burning tongue, feeling like your tongue is burning, or tingling, or like pins and needles
• Choking
• Constant craving for sugar or sweets
• Constant lump in the throat feeling
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty talking, pronouncing certain letters or sounds, mouth feels like it isn't moving right, slurred speech
• Dry mouth
• Esophageal spasms
• Feeling like you can't swallow properly or that something will get caught in your throat
• Feeling like your tongue is swollen
• IBS
• Lack of appetite, Loss of appetite
• Lump in the throat, tight throat, something stuck in your throat
• Loss of bladder control or bowel control
• Mixing up words when speaking; mixed up words
• Mouth muscles twitching/jumping
• Mouth or throat clicking or grating sound/noise when you move your mouth or jaw, such as when talking
• Nausea
• Nausea vomiting
• Nausea or abdominal stress
• Nervous stomach
• Static, electric charge, tingling, numbness, prickly, unusual pain and sensitivity feelings in the face, mouth, and/or throat
• Stomach upset, gas, belching, bloating
• Teeth grinding
• The thought of eating makes you nauseous
• Tight throat, lump in throat
• Throat or mouth clicking or grating sound/noise when you move your mouth or jaw, such as when talking
• TMJ
• Tongue symptoms - Tingly, stretched, numb, frozen, itchy, crawly, burning, twitching, jumpy, aching, sore, or swollen tongue (when it isn't).
• Urgency to urinate, frequent urination, sudden urge to go to the washroom
• Voice changes: shaky, crackly, raspy, unsteady, hoarseness, broken, cracked, weak, random pitch, uneven tone, loss of voice, etc.
• Vomiting
• Warm burst surge sensation in the stomach

Skin Anxiety Symptoms (symptoms of anxiety involving the skin):

• Burning itching skin (hands, feet, face, lips, etc.)
• Burning skin sensations, skin sensitivity
• Itching burning skin but no rash
• Numbness
• Numbness tingling, numbness and tingling
• Red skin, looks like your skin is red or turning red for no reason
• Skin feels cold, wet
• Skin symptoms (all of them - burning, itchy, crawly, prickly, stinging, biting, cold, hot, a cold wet feeling, a hot steam feeling, pinching, stabbing, electric zap or shock, nerve pain, tickling, numbness, pins and needles, wire brushed feeling, tingling, carpet burn feeling, or other skin sensations, feelings, sensitivities, and symptoms.)
• Skin problems, infections, rashes

Sleep Anxiety Symptoms (symptoms of anxiety associated with sleep and sleep problems):

• Difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Frequent bad, bizarre, or crazy dreams
• Hearing sounds in your head that jolt you awake
• Insomnia, or waking up ill in the middle of the night
• Jolting awake
• Waking up in a panic attack
• You feel worse in the mornings

Sight Anxiety Symptoms (symptoms of anxiety associated with the eyes and sight):

• Distorted, foggy, or blurred vision
• Dry, watery or itchy eyes
• Eye tricks, seeing things our of the corner of your eye that isn't there, stars, flashes
• Eye problems vision symptoms
• Eyes sensitive to light
• Dilated or contracted pupils
• Spots in the vision
• Flashing lights when eyes are closed
• Your depth perception feels wrong

Touch Anxiety Symptoms (symptoms of anxiety associated with the sense of touch):

• Burning skin sensations, skin sensitivity
• Feeling cold or chilled
• Numbness
• Numbness tingling, numbness and tingling
• Pain
• Pins and needles: all over, in the hands and feet, fingers, left arm, etc.

Other anxiety symptoms are often described as: Being like a hypochondriac, muscle twinges, worry all the time, tingles, gagging, tightness in the chest, tongue twitches, shaky, breath lump, heart beat problems, head tingles, itchy tingling in arms and legs, and so many more.

In addition, you might also find yourself worrying compulsively about:

• Having a heart attack
• Having a serious undetected illness
• Dying prematurely
• Going insane or losing your mind
• Suddenly snapping
• Losing it
• Uncontrollably harming yourself or someone you love
• Losing control of your thoughts and actions
• Being embarrassed or making a fool out of yourself
• Losing control
• Fainting in public
• Not breathing properly
• Losing control of reality
• Choking or suffocating
• Being alone

These are some of the more common signs, symptoms, and indications of anxiety. This symptoms list is not exhaustive.

If you would like more in depth information about all anxiety symptoms, including those symptoms that aren't listed or explained above - the Symptoms section (Chapter 9) in the Recovery Support area of our website includes every anxiety symptom, including complete descriptions, explanations, remedies, and the percentage of people who experience it. Many of our members have told us that our Anxiety Symptoms section in the Recovery Support area is the most comprehensive symptoms resource available anywhere today. Click here for more information about our Recovery Support area, including membership options.

For more information about our Anxiety Therapy, Coaching, Counselling progam.

Resources

National Institute of Mental Health - general information

Canadian Mental Health Association - general information

American Psychiatric Association - general disorder information

American Psychological Association - general information

Anxiety UK Helpline - helpline in the UK

Free tests at anxietycentre.com- free anxiety, depression, and stress tests at anxietycentre.com

ANXIETY SYMPTOMS REFERENCES:

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6. Roney, James R., et al. "Elevated Psychological Stress Predicts Reduced Estradiol Concentrations in Young Women." Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology, Mar. 2015, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40750-014-0004-2

7. Gorman JM, Kent JM, Sullivan GM, Coplan JD. Neuroanatomical hypothesis of panic disorder, revised. Am J Psychiatry. 2000;157:493–505

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15. Lack, Caleb. "Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Evidence-based treatments and future directions for research." World Journal of Psychiatry, 22 Dec. 2012, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3782190/

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21. WW, Eaton, et al. "Specific phobias." Lancet Psychiatry, 5 Aug. 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30060873

22. Garcia, Rene. "Neurobiology of fear and specific phobias." Learning & Memory, 24 Sep. 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5580526/

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31 DISCLAIMER: Because each body is somewhat chemically unique, and because each person will have a unique mix of symptoms and underlying factors, recovery results may vary. Variances can occur for many reasons, including due to the severity of the condition, the ability of the person to apply the recovery concepts, and the commitment to making behavioral change. Consequently, individual results may vary.

Anxiety symptoms can range in type, number, intensity, frequency, and duration with each person having a unique set of anxiety signs and symptoms.