Do I Suffer From Anxiety Attacks?

How to Identify Anxiety Symptoms

When talking about anxiety most people would be able to relate to the symptoms of anxiety in some sort of a way. Anxiety, stress, Phobia, fear, worry and tension are words with different technical meanings, but are words that describe this common condition also known as Anxiety disorder. When I say common condition I mean what I say. We see evidence of anxiety in small children, teenagers, adults and the elderly. We live in a society that demands a lot. Socially we are surrounded by violence, instability, peer pressure, work-related stress and Trauma Incidents. This is a short list of factors that may lead to anxiety disorder or attacks.

Anxiety is caused by inner feelings of worry, not feeling safe, uneasy or overwhelmed. During these mental states, our bodies react and go into a state of flee or fight mode. Physical manifestations include an increase in heart rate and blood pressure as well as muscle tension.   Neurologically the victim of an anxiety disorder may go into an emotionally discharged state, may experience feelings of being numb, go into an emotionally discharged state or may even become temporarily catatonic.

Anxiety disorders can usually be categorised as Normal, Neurotic, Moderate, Intense, State and Trait anxiety.

Normal Anxiety: This type of anxiety happens to all of us at some stage in our lives. The greater the situation; the greater the anxiety. It all depends on the situation we find ourselves in at that point in time. This is controllable and can be managed.

Neurotic Anxiety: This is a neurotic state of anxiety of over-exaggeration and feelings of hopelessness. Often the situation is mild or non-existent. If one finds oneself here a GP needs to be consulted.

Moderate Anxiety: This is a more healthy type of anxiety and can have a positive result. For example, it can lead to productivity, efficiency or avoiding dangerous situations.

Intense Anxiety: This type of anxiety stands in complete contrast with moderate anxiety. This state of anxiety is a lot more stressful. This can result in panic attacks or anxiety attacks, rapid heartbeats, high blood pressure, headaches, stomach pains, memory loss and short attention span.

State Anxiety: This type of anxiety comes quickly and goes quickly. It happens to all of us in different situations. We will have the feeling of an adrenaline rush or excitement. This is spasmodic and has no long-lasting effect.

Trait Anxiety: This is persistent, ongoing anxiety, tension or stress. The person will be stressed all the time and worry about everything. This will result in chest pain, dizziness, fading, high blood pressure, exhaustion, migraines and so forth. I have seen drugs being the cause of this type of anxiety in many cases. The drugs create a chemical imbalance in the user’s brain. Eventually, this type of anxiety leads to depression. (PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.) If you find yourself here you need professional help.

Life Counsel can assist you with Anxiety problems. Knowing how to identify anxiety helps a great deal.
Also, see stress counselling if you are experiencing these types of symptoms.

Contact Life Counsel to make a booking for stress or anxiety counselling sessions.

Author: Gerrie Pretorius

Life Counsel.