If you've endured more stress than your body and mind can handle long periods, you might be subject to anxiety and stress symptoms that lead to an anxiety attack.
Anxiety is a response to stress.
It is that vague feeling that something is wrong but you can't pinpoint what that something is.
It creates physical symptoms too.
You might develop twitching, tension headaches, continual dry mouth with difficulty swallowing, inability to concentrate, dizziness, fatigue, restlessness and difficulty sleeping, urinary urgency, diarrhea, rapid heartbeat, nightmares, sexual difficulty, irritability or dizziness.
Anxiety and Stress Symptoms An anxiety attack is an exaggerated response the body's fight or flight reaction.
Early man needed to be aware of his environment.
Initially, when a strange sound occurred or he suspected danger might be lurking, the body sent hormones out to prepare for either exiting rapidly or fighting.
These hormones, catecholamines, sent blood to the body parts necessary for a quick exit or battle.
It slowed the blood flow to unnecessary parts in order to do this.
When stress hits, the digestion slows, peripheral vision decreases, the heart starts pumping more rapidly and the muscles tighten.
The same thing occurs in anxiety attacks where the victim perceives a threatening situation.
Even though you might want to run away right before a speech, you don't.
That doesn't stop the dry mouth and dizziness you develop from that stressful situation.
Your focus increases during the speech and once the speech is over, most people feel as though someone took a weight off their shoulders and their body relaxes and returns to normal.
This is a normal reaction.
If you have an anxiety attack, it comes when either there's no stimulus or it occurs with such a violent reaction that it makes it impossible to function.
Anxiety Disorder An anxiety disorder occurs when mild stimuli pushes you into full-blown anxiety.
You might have constant anxiety symptoms and always feel tense, worried and plagued by unknown fears.
It is a disorder if you suddenly experience a racing heart with the attack and it interferes with your social interaction.
People with anxiety disorders may even avoid normal activities because they fear an attack.
In an effort to control the situation, often the anxious person creates preplanned methods to avoid a negative occurrence.
If the sufferer doesn't these steps, an attack ensues.
There are stories of the great Sigmund Freud breaking an expensive vase to insure that his daughter was safe while she traveled by train.
Whether this story is true or not, it is an example of a ritual step to control an uncontrollable event.
Types Of Anxiety Disorder There are several types of anxiety disorders.
Generalized anxiety disorder, GAD, often displays itself as insomnia, restlessness, upset stomach and even fatigue.
It comes to the constant worrier that simply fears day-to-day activities.
When the person with anxiety attempts to control these feeling by repeated behavior, such as closing and opening a door or hand washing, then it's an obsessive-compulsive disorder, OCD.
Panic attacks and phobias often go hand in hand.
A panic attack brings rapid heartbeat, sweating and fear.
It may come from a phobia, a fear of a specific item or place or simply just occur without notice.
Post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, occurs after a traumatic event and includes flashbacks and withdrawal from society.
Social anxiety disorder is more than simple shyness.
It is more like severe stage fright and fear of criticism when it comes to social situations.
Therefore, the person avoids them entirely.
Helping Anxiety and Stress Symptoms Anxiety disorders require more than exercise, healthy living, visualization and breaks from stress.
These methods of stress reduction help, but if anxiety is beyond the point where these steps can help then professional assistance is important.
Often anxiety comes from unrecognized depression.
It might require medication but also can be resolved through therapy.
If the anxiety changes how you live your life, don't suffer more than need be.
It is a real condition and you should seek help.