Signs you may have an anxiety disorder

Virtually everyone will get anxious about something at some point in their lives; it's a natural, healthy emotion we experience when we're faced with stressful and worrisome events. Once the situation is resolved — your test came back negative, you passed the class, you got the job — the anxiety naturally recedes.

But for some people, myself included, the anxiety might not go anywhere. We find ourselves worrying about something else now and unable to relax or calm down, in spite of the fact that the stressor has been removed. Or maybe there never was a major stressor at all and we're fixating on minor issues as if they were more major. Perhaps there was never a worrisome event to stress out about but we're just always concerned about something.

Sounds familiar? If so, read on about these signs that you may, like me, have an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety, although it is a mental condition, has a variety of physical symptoms. Dr. Angela Kenzslowe, clinical psychologist and founder of Purple Heart Behavioral Health, LLC, told me, "Anxiety is our body's natural reaction to real or perceived danger — it is our flight or fight response. When we have anxiety our body responds with physical sensations such as increased heart rate, quick and shallow breaths, increased adrenaline, feelings of impending doom, increased muscle tension, increased perspiration, lightheadedness, and chest pains." While you may not experience all of these, if you're experiencing some of them regularly it could be a sign of a disorder.

Additionally, Lisa Herman, Psy.D., a licensed psychologist with expertise in anxiety related disorders, told me you'll know you're anxious if "you have excessive physical symptoms of anxiety/panic that come often and sometimes out of the blue. This is typically what people realize first — their heart racing, sweating, shaking, etc. — and people will contact their doctor or go to the ER in some cases because these symptoms feel so bad." So if your symptoms are so bad that you wind up in the hospital thinking you're having a heart attack, you could very likely be mistaking that for a panic attack.

Other symptoms can include digestive issues, headaches, exhaustion, and muscle tension, according to counselor Caraballo.

When you have an anxiety disorder, you're very likely worried about something all the time. Bruce W. Cameron, M.S., a licensed professional counselor, told me, "Anxiety is not like a phobia that has a specific target. It's worse. You feel that sense of doom is going to come out of nowhere. This anticipation feeds itself like a loop, and you can't seem to get out of the cycle." So you'll worry about something until it's resolved, then you'll fixate on a new problem. I do this all the time.

Counselor Caraballo told me that it's a good indicator that you're doing this if someone tells you that you worry too much. He said, "In my experience, people with very high or severe anxiety are unable to control their worry or constant analysis of almost every decision in their lives. What is sometimes difficult to notice in ourselves is much more visible to others. If the people closest to you have said these words, it might be worth speaking to a doctor or therapist about anxiety." And even if no one has said anything, you can ask friends or family if they have observed this in you. That's a good way to gauge your level of stress.

But be careful not to rely on other people's observations for constant reassurance as that could also be anxiety manifesting. Counselor Derichs says this is possible if "you need constant reassurance about how you look, or the choices you have to make, or upcoming decisions."

On good days, I don't mind going out to the store and enjoy the act of getting out and about. But on bad days, the idea of heading into a big box store is my idea of hell. This is not uncommon for people who struggle with social anxiety disorders. Kim Shashoua, LMSW, elaborated. She told me, "Do large spaces, like malls or cavernous stores (such as Bed Bath & Beyond) make you uncomfortable? If your nervous system is on the lookout for threats, you could notice a reaction to those spaces." So why are these spaces such a trigger for some people? Why are we on edge? Shashoua said it's because "large spaces are harder to control and scan for threats, so they can seem much scarier than small spaces."

If you find yourself avoiding these places all together, that could be an indicator that you're wrestling with social anxiety — especially if you find yourself not wanting to leave your home at all.

Anxiety has a way of eroding our trust in ourselves. After a while, you might not even listen to yourself, or discern between what the anxiety is telling you and what your gut is telling you. Peg O'Connor, Ph.D., an expert author for Pro Talk on Rehabs.com, told me, "Second guessing yourself is, at rock bottom, not trusting yourself. You might be afraid to make any decisions because you don't trust your decision-making ability."

And even if you can make a decision, noted O'Connor, you're still going to be in knots over it. She continued, "If you do reach a decision, you may feel as if it will be the wrong one because you are the one who made it. This may prompt you to disregard the knowledge or insight you possess or to go against your intuition or gut instinct." So you basically sabotage yourself by discrediting your own knowledge and instincts.

And that can really erode your confidence. According to O'Connor, "Lacking trust in yourself leads to a kind of confirmation bias: everything that doesn't go well or turns out badly will count as proof that your decision-making ability is flawed." So you're basically stuck in a loop, an anxiety-induced inception.

While it's natural for all of us to doubt ourselves here and there, this sort of crippling lack of self-trust is likely the result of anxiety.