5 Common Myths About Antidepressants
Medication management provides symptom relief for many people struggling with depression. Are antidepressants right for you? Read to learn the truth, not the myths, about antidepressants.
10 Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety disorders, like generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder, can negatively affect all aspects of your life, from the personal to the professional. At Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates, LLC, of North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, our psychiatric and mental health specialists team can help.
Dr. Ronald P. Winfield and the team of providers at Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates can diagnose your anxiety disorder and help you with a customized treatment plan that will work for you. Get started by finding out if any of these common — and more minor everyday! — symptoms of anxiety sound familiar to you.
1. Fear
The defining symptom of an anxiety disorder is persistent fear. It might feel almost impossible to free yourself from your worries. You might be anxious about something that has happened to you in the past repeating, or you might be scared about very remote possibilities — but your feelings of fear are almost always present, intense, and real.
2. Worry
For some, anxiety disorders like generalized anxiety disorders are characterized by constant worry. Your concerns nag at you throughout the day and night, making it difficult to focus — or strategize. The persistent fear associated with anxiety disorders can make it a challenge to handle concerns or concerning situations, paralyzing you with thoughts of what could happen.
3. Panic
If you’re suffering from a panic disorder, moments of intense terror and panic can hit without warning, causing physical symptoms and arresting your day. Panic related to anxiety disorders isn’t always connected to a specific cause but can arise for no readily apparent reason.
4. Sleeplessness
You don’t just need to worry about anxiety during the daytime hours— stress can interfere with your rest at night. People with anxiety tend to suffer from sleeplessness or insomnia. And, anxiety dreams can disrupt your night’s sleep, leaving you stressed out and sleep-deprived.
5. Digestive issues
Digestive issues are common when you’re living with anxiety. You might feel nausea when you’re anxious or suffer from a loss of appetite due to the stress of your anxiety. As a result, some people with anxiety disorders notice weight loss, potentially to unhealthy degrees. Anxious eating can also result in weight gain.
6. Sweating, weakness, or trembling
Emotions of extreme anxiety or panic can leave your body dealing with physical consequences like shaking, trembling, weakness, or sweating. These symptoms show how hard your body works to cope with your mental health struggles. The Team at Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates may be able to improve your physical health by treating your mental health.
7. Social withdrawal
Social anxiety disorder causes you to feel extremely self-conscious when dealing with other people, even in ordinary, low-stakes circumstances. If you’re dealing with social anxiety, you might withdraw from social connections, even those with people you love and value. You need treatment to help you reconnect with your support network!
8. Specific phobias
Not everyone’s anxiety is generalized. For some, specific, intense phobias around situations, objects, or people are the focus of anxiety problems. Whether you’re worried about flying, going to the dentist, or high places, these phobias can limit the scope of your life and cause complications.
Treatment modalities like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy can reduce your phobias.
9. Irritability
When you’re constantly dealing with anxiety-related stress, it can be challenging to keep your temper. Staying calm isn’t easy when you’re anxious, and restlessness and irritability can become issues in your daily life.
10. Increased heart rate
Anxiety, fear, and panic speed up your heart rate and cause shortness of breath. Too much anxiety puts unneeded stresses on your cardiovascular and whole-body health and your emotional and mental wellness.
For compassionate, experienced treatment support for anxiety disorders, get in touch with Dr. Winfield and the providers at Greater Lowell Psychiatric Associates today for your evaluation. Schedule an appointment over the phone, or book online now.
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