Symptoms of Severe Anxiety Disorder

Heart palpitations, heavy sweating, nausea, and intense fear, you’ve probably have experienced these symptoms especially when you were confronted with a dangerous situation. You might be asking yourself if you’re going mad or was your experience normal. Don’t consider insanity outright when having bouts with anxiety. Know exactly if you are experiencing symptoms of severe anxiety disorder.

Anxiety as a Defensive mechanism

Before the word anxiety became popular, it was first addressed as “dread” by scientists. Even Sigmund Freud used to alternate the word anxiety with “angst”. Anxiety is a normal defense mechanism of our body. It is also known as the “fight or flight” mechanism. There are various changes that are happening instantly once you become anxious.

• Changes on cardiovascular - Increase in heart rate – As a result of this symptom, your heart pumps more blood rapidly to the different parts of your body. Your vital organs received the extra energy it needs to prepare for an action. The numbness in your fingers are the result of blood moving to organs that needs the blood the most such as the biceps, thighs, and other muscles.
  
• The Effect on Respiratory System - The rapid breathing provides the tissues of your body to have more oxygen. However, it has side effects that can cause you to have choking sensations, dizziness, tightness in the chest, and smothering. Since your body is prioritizing your muscles at this point, your brain receives less blood and oxygen causing a sense of de-realization which is the feeling of unreal and confusion. 
  
• The Activation of the Sweat Glands - The profuse sweating allows your body to cool down so that it doesn’t over heat. Another important benefit of sweating is it makes your skin slippery. So once someone grab you it will be harder for them to get a hold of you.

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety can be maladaptive if its effects and symptoms prevent you from functioning normally. A maladaptive anxiety is self defeating. It tends to interfere with your efficiency and achievement of goal or task. There are various kinds of anxiety disorder, all having different symptoms of severe anxiety disorder

• Panic Disorder - It is characterized as having recurrent anxiety or panic attacks that manifests at unexpected times and not induced by any specific object or situation.  Symptoms of severe anxiety disorder – Somatic symptoms include difficulty in breathing, rapid heartbeat, chest pain, choking and smothering sensations, dizziness, trembling, and shaking.
  
• Phobic Disorder – It is experiencing an irrational fear on a specific object or situation. Usually, it leads to avoidance of the object or situation.
  
  Symptoms of severe anxiety disorder –People who have phobia alter their lifestyle to avoid their object of fear. For someone who is afraid of elevators, he will always choose to take the stairs even if he has to climb 10 floors. Once confronted by their fears, they may experience dizziness, faintness, profuse sweating, irregular heartbeat, and shaking.
  
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder – It is described as having a chronic state of vague fearfulness. A person with generalized anxiety disorder fears that something terrible is about to happen even though there are no evidence to support their claims.
  Symptoms of severe anxiety disorder – Motor symptoms include tremors, restlessness, and jumpiness. Signs of autonomic hyperactivity are sweating, heart pounding, dizziness, and stomach discomfort. The body’s reaction is almost similar with panic attacks but only milder. Other symptoms manifest as extreme vigilance and persistent scanning of the environment.

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