What are the symptoms of anxiety disorder?

Anxiety disorder symptoms include persistent emotional tension, excessive cognitive worry, frequent physical discomfort, abnormal behavior, and decreased sleep quality. These multidimensional symptoms often overlap and can significantly affect daily life and work. If symptoms persist for more than two weeks and do not improve on their own, prompt medical consultation is recommended.

1. Persistent emotional tension: A prolonged state of unexplained anxiety and irritability, easily triggered by minor issues, accompanied by inner restlessness and difficulty calming down. Individuals may experience intense feelings of crisis even in the absence of identifiable stressors.

2. Excessive cognitive worry: Overestimating negative outcomes of future events, repeatedly dwelling on potential dangers, difficulty concentrating, disorganized thinking, along with symptoms such as reduced memory and hypervigilance.

3. Frequent physical discomfort: Symptoms may include palpitations, chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, and headaches. Additional manifestations can involve dry or bitter mouth, gastrointestinal disturbances, muscle tension and soreness, sweating, and hand tremors. Some patients may also experience elevated blood pressure and increased heart rate.

4. Abnormal behavior: Deliberate avoidance of situations or people that may trigger anxiety, reduced participation in social activities, and decreased efficiency in work or study. Some individuals may engage in repetitive behaviors such as repeated checking or handwashing to relieve anxiety, which in severe cases can disrupt normal daily routines.

5. Decreased sleep quality: Difficulty falling asleep or frequent awakening during the night, light and restless sleep with vivid dreams, and persistent fatigue upon waking. Chronic insomnia can further exacerbate anxiety, creating a vicious cycle.

In daily life, mild anxiety symptoms can be alleviated through regular physical exercise to reduce stress, practicing deep breathing or meditation to regulate emotions, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and avoiding late nights, communicating and sharing feelings with family and friends, and minimizing excessive rumination during periods of solitude.