Awareness, in my opinion, is the key to properly managing anxiety. Without knowing what it is you’re dealing with, how can you possibly expect to manage it?
The first and most importing thing to eliminating your anxiety is to become aware of the various symptoms associated with it. With the knowledge of knowing what the symptoms are, you’ll be better equipped to handle them when they appear. Both mentally and physically.
For most of my childhood and young adult life I thought that there was something seriously wrong with me. When I experienced difficulty breathing, I would think that maybe I had some sort of respiratory problem. When I would wake up in the middle of the night, trembling in a cold sweat, I thought I was having a heart attack and was going to die. It was a terrible way to live, but for a good part of my life it was my reality or so I thought.
Out of the possible twenty seven anxiety symptoms, I had experienced them all. So, when I talk about them, I don’t talk about them in terms of theory or how I think they would feel, but rather from experience. I know first hand the dreadful feelings of each and every symptom associated with anxiety. It’s scary. frightening, and tiring. But it doesn’t have to be that way, and it all starts with knowing what you are dealing with.
Let’s take a look at the twenty seven most common symptoms associated with anxiety. I have listed them below. Take a moment to go over them and make a mental note or better yet grab a piece of paper and jot down the various symptoms you too may have experienced. This will give you a starting point in knowing what it is you are dealing with. Here is the list:
- chest pain or discomfort
- choking
- chronic and exaggerated worry and tension
- dizziness or faintness (actual fainting is extremely rare)
- fear of dying
- fear of going crazy or losing control
- feeling a lump in your throat
- feelings of unreality, strangeness, or detachment from the environment
- feeling tired
- flushes or chills
- inability to relax
- headaches
- hot flashes
- irritability
- muscle tension
- muscle tension
- nausea or diarrhea
- numbness or tingling sensations
- palpitations (“fluttering” in the chest) or accelerated heart rate
- recurring unpleasant thoughts
- repetitive habits (e.g., washing hands)
- shortness of breath or smothering sensation
- startling easily
- sweating
- trembling
- trouble concentrating
- trouble falling asleep or staying
How did that go? Have you expereinced some or many of these symptoms? If you have, feel free to leave a comment and tell me about your situation. By sharign your situation as a comment it gives other people the chance to read it and see that they aren’t the only ones experiencing these types of feelings.
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