Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Depression

Anxiety is an unpleasant state of inner turmoil, often accompanied by nervous behavior, such as pacing back and forth, somatic complaints and rumination. It is the subjectively unpleasant feelings of dread over something unlikely to happen, such as the feeling of imminent death. 

Anxiety is not the same as fear, which is felt about something realistically intimidating or dangerous and is an appropriate response to a perceived threat; anxiety is a feeling of fear, worry, and uneasiness, usually generalized and unfocused as an overreaction to a situation that is only subjectively seen as menacing. It is often accompanied by restlessness, fatigue, problems in concentration, and muscular tension. Anxiety is not considered to be a normal reaction to a perceived stressor although many feel it occasionally.

Anxiety Symptoms: 

Anxiety symptoms, anxiety attack symptoms: There are over 100 symptoms of anxiety. Because each person has a unique chemical make up, the type, number, intensity, and frequency of anxiety symptoms will vary from person to person. For example, one person may have just one mild anxiety symptom, whereas another may have all anxiety symptoms and to great severity. All combinations are common.

Anxiety symptoms are actually symptoms of stress. Many refer to these symptoms as anxiety symptoms because anxiety stresses the body, and once the body is stressed it produces symptoms of being stressed.

For the sake of clarity, we’ll also refer to them as anxiety symptoms, for now.

Anxiety can cause physical, psychological, emotional, or spiritual symptoms.

The body produces anxiety symptoms to let us know that something is not functioning normally. The body uses symptoms to communicate that we are, or something is, doing harm to the body. It is trying to get our attention so that we’ll take action to stop the harm.

Anxiety symptoms aren’t sensations we need to be afraid of. But they are warning signs that we need to take corrective action to prevent further harm. Anxiety symptoms are messages designed to protect us, and not to harm us.

There is a long list of anxiety symptoms. But because each body is somewhat chemically unique, anxiety affects each person differently. Anxiety symptoms will vary from person to person in type or kind, number, intensity, and frequency.

For example, one person may experience only a few minor anxiety symptoms, while another person may experience the majority of anxiety symptoms to great intensities. All combinations are possible and common.

Anxiety symptoms can range from mild to severe, from only one symptom to all of them, and can be sporadic, frequent, or persistent. Again, all combinations are possible and common.

NOTE: The Symptoms Listing section in the members area of our website contains detailed information about most of the symptoms commonly associated with anxiety. This information includes the sensations commonly experienced, whether it is an anxiety symptom or not, what causes them to occur, and what you can do to reduce and eventually eliminate them. This information generally isn’t found elsewhere.

Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety might seem like opposites, but they often go together. More than half of the people diagnosed with depression also have anxiety.

Either condition can be disabling on its own. Together, depression and anxiety can be especially hard to live with, hard to diagnose, and hard to treat.

“When you’re in the grip of depression and anxiety, it can feel like the misery will never end, that you’ll never recover,” says Dean F. MacKinnon, MD, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. “But people do recover. You just need to find the right treatment.”

The Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety

Depression can make people feel profoundly discouraged, helpless, and hopeless. Anxiety can make them agitated and overwhelmed by physical symptoms -- a pounding heart, tightness in the chest, and difficulty breathing.

People diagnosed with both depression and anxiety tend to have

• More severe symptoms
• More impairment in their day-to-day lives
• More trouble finding the right treatment
• A higher risk of suicide

Tips for Depression and Anxiety Treatment

Depression and anxiety can be harder to treat than either condition on its own. Getting control might take more intensive treatment and closer monitoring, says Ian A. Cook, MD, the director of the Depression Research Program at UCLA. Here are some tips.

1. Give medicine time to work. Many antidepressants also help with anxiety. You might need other medicines as well. It could take time for the drugs to work -- and time for your doctor to find the ideal medicines for you. In the meantime, stick with your treatment and take your medication as prescribed.
2. Put effort into therapy. Although many types of talk therapy might help, cognitive behavioral therapy has the best evidence for treating anxiety and depression. It helps people identify and then change the thought and behavior patterns that add to their distress. Try to do your part: the benefit you’ll get from therapy is directly related to the work you put into it.
3. Make some lifestyle changes. As your treatment takes effect, you can do a lot on your own to reinforce it. Breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, and yoga can help. So can the basics, like eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising. The key is to figure out ways of integrating better habits into your life -- something that you can work on with your therapist.
4. Get a second opinion. When they're combined, depression and anxiety can be hard to diagnose. It's easy for a doctor to miss some of your symptoms -- and as a result, you could wind up with the wrong treatment. If you have any doubts about your care, it's smart to check in with another expert.
5. Focus on small steps. If you’re grappling with depression and anxiety, making it through the day is hard enough. Anything beyond that might seem impossible.  “Changing your behavior can seem overwhelming,” Cook says. “I encourage people to make small, manageable steps in the right direction.” Over time, small changes can give you the confidence to make bigger ones.
6. Be an active partner in your treatment. There are many good ways to treat depression and anxiety. But they all hinge on one thing: a good relationship with your healthcare providers. Whether you see a GP, psychiatrist, psychologist, or social worker -- or a combination -- you need to trust one another and work as a team.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD):

What is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common anxiety disorder that involves chronic worrying, nervousness, and tension.

Unlike a phobia, where your fear is connected to a specific thing or situation, the anxiety of generalized anxiety disorder is diffuse—a general feeling of dread or unease that colors your whole life. This anxiety is less intense than a panic attack, but much longer lasting, making normal life difficult and relaxation impossible.

If you have GAD you may worry about the same things that other people do: health issues, money, family problems, or difficulties at work. But you take these worries to a new level.

A co-worker’s careless comment about the economy becomes a vision of an imminent pink slip; a phone call to a friend that isn’t immediately returned becomes anxiety that the relationship is in trouble. Sometimes just the thought of getting through the day produces anxiety. You go about your activities filled with exaggerated worry and tension, even when there is little or nothing to provoke them.

Whether you realize that your anxiety is more intense than the situation calls for or believe that your worrying protects you in some way, the end result is the same. You can’t turn off your anxious thoughts. They keep running through your head, on endless repeat.

Signs and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder:

The symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder fluctuate. You may notice better and worse times of the day, or better and worse days in general. And while stress doesn’t cause generalized anxiety disorder, it can make the symptoms worse.

Not everyone with generalized anxiety disorder has the same symptoms. But most people with GAD experience a combination of a number of the following emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms.

Emotional symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder

• Constant worries running through your head
• Feeling like your anxiety is uncontrollable; there is nothing you can do to stop the worrying
• Intrusive thoughts about things that make you anxious; you try to avoid thinking about them, but you can’t
• An inability to tolerate uncertainty; you need to know what’s going to happen in the future
• A pervasive feeling of apprehension or dread

Behavioral symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder

• Inability to relax, enjoy quiet time, or be by yourself
• Difficulty concentrating or focusing on things
• Putting things off because you feel overwhelmed
• Avoiding situations that make you anxious

Physical symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder

• Feeling tense; having muscle tightness or body aches
• Having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep because your mind won’t quit
• Feeling edgy, restless, or jumpy
• Stomach problems, nausea, diarrhea

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anxiety, anxiety disorder