Signs and symptoms, such as excessive worrying and reassurance seeking, are how to tell if someone has anxiety. Everyone has anxiety, or feelings of fear, from time to time. Anxiety can sometimes be so frequent and overwhelming that it affects your daily life. Persistent anxious feelings could be a sign of an anxiety disorder.1
There are different types of anxiety disorders, but all share the main symptom of excessive fear or worry.1 Experiencing chronic (long-term) stress or triggers can cause anxiety. Symptoms aren’t only psychological. The symptoms can also be physical or cause changes in your behavior or mood.1
Knowing the symptoms of anxiety can help you get the support you may need. Read on to learn how you can tell people have anxiety and what it looks like on a person. How To Tell if Someone Has Anxiety
About 31% of adults in the United States will experience an anxiety disorder sometime in their life.2 One of the most common anxiety disorders is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). GAD causes excessive worry about everyday issues, such as health, money, and relationships.1
Other types of anxiety disorders include agoraphobia, panic disorder, and phobias. Some people might also have a health condition, such as thyroid problems, that causes anxiety.3
Everyone may experience anxiety differently. Anxiety generally includes some of the following signs and symptoms.
Excessive Worrying
The primary characteristic of anxiety is worry. Most people worry from time to time. You might worry if you have a big event like a wedding coming up or are expecting the results of a health test. People with anxiety struggle with excessive worrying, which may occur as difficult-to-control intrusive thoughts about worst-case scenarios.4
Your worry will be exaggerated and out of proportion to the situation if you have an anxiety disorder.5 You may worry about losing your job even when there’s no reason to think it’s in jeopardy. Maybe you worry about your significant other breaking up with you even though things have been going well.
Each anxiety disorder has its own set of diagnostic criteria when it comes to worry. Excessive worrying needs to occur for at least six months to be diagnosed with GAD.6
Anxious thoughts and worrying can make it hard to settle yourself down and relax. People with an anxiety disorder may feel:1
Fearful
Fidgety
Frustrated
Impatient
Nervous
On edge
Restless
Tense
Cognitive Symptoms
Cognition has to do with thinking, reasoning, or remembering. Anxiety can start to take a toll on these aspects of your cognitive function. People with anxiety might have trouble concentrating or might get easily distracted. This can start to affect your performance at work, school, or home.1
Other anxiety symptoms related to cognition include:1
A fear of losing control
A lost sense of reality
Confusion
Difficulty speaking
Narrowed attention, focusing only on what it is you are anxious about
Poor memory
Scary thoughts, mental images, or memories
Physical Symptoms
Anxiety isn’t only a mental or emotional experience. Anxious thoughts or feelings kick your “fight-or-flight” response into high gear, which can result in physical symptoms.3
You may experience physical symptoms like:61
Diarrhea
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Dry mouth
Fatigue
Headache
Muscle tension or pain
Nausea
Shortness of breath
Stomachache
Someone with social anxiety disorder might also experience sweating, trembling, and a racing heartbeat. They can also blush, hold a more rigid body posture, and speak in an extra soft tone.3
Behavioral Symptoms
Anxiety can also cause changes in behavior. One of the most common behavioral changes is avoidance, or avoiding activities you normally do because they trigger anxiety.7 You may, for example, avoid riding in cars if you’re worried about getting into an accident.
You might also try to seek reassurance to quell your anxiety. The anxiety and its effect on your life might also make you restless or agitated.1
Some people may try to keep anxiety at bay by using substances like alcohol, cannabis, or illicit drugs. These substances may result in an initial feeling of calm. Substance use has actually been linked to worsening anxiety and mental health in the long term.8
You may also struggle to fall or stay asleep at night. Sleep problems can reduce the quantity or quality of sleep you need, leaving you tired the next day. Lack of sleep due to anxiety can cause a vicious cycle, triggering more anxiety or inciting stress and depression.910
Agoraphobia Symptoms
Agoraphobia is a fear of places that do not feel safe. You may have anxiety going to crowded areas or being outside by yourself.11
Agoraphobia symptoms generally include:11
Agitation or temper
Being afraid to spend time alone, go places where you cannot escape, or lose control in public
Depending on others
Feeling like the environment isn’t real
Feelings of detachment from your body or separation from others
Helplessness
Physical symptoms, such as chest pain, choking, nausea, or sweating
Staying in the house
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Symptoms
People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have obsessions, such as intrusive ideas, feelings, and thoughts. These obsessions cause anxiety, which can drive them to practice certain behaviors, or compulsions.12
There are different types of obsessions and compulsions. You might have a severe fear of germs, for example. This obsession can then cause you to repeatedly wash your hands, which is a compulsion.
Not everyone who has OCD has the same symptoms, but these typically include:
Getting anxiety relief from performing compulsions but generally finding these behaviors consuming and tiresome
Having problems functioning due to these thoughts and behaviors
Having uncontrollable thoughts or behaviors, which they may acknowledge as excessive
Spending at least one hour per day thinking about obsessions or practicing compulsions
Some people with OCD may have tics. Tics can include clearing the throat, eye blinking, or head jerking.
Panic Disorder Symptoms
Panic disorder causes panic attacks, or periods of intense fear. A panic attack can begin out of nowhere and last one hour or longer. Symptoms peak around 10 to 20 minutes. Some symptoms are so intense that you may mistake them for a heart attack.13
Panic attack symptoms can include:13
A pounding heart or chest pain
Chills, hot flashes, or sweating
Fear of dying or losing control
Feeling detached from reality
Feeling dizzy or faint
Feeling like you’re choking
Nausea
Numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, or face
Shortness of breath
Trembling
Phobias Symptoms
A phobia is a fear of something that’s otherwise harmless. There are several types of phobia, such as a fear of heights (acrophobia). You’ll likely try to avoid what you’re afraid of as much as possible.14
People with phobias may have symptoms like:14
A strong desire to get away if they’re near something they fear
Rapid heartbeat
Severe fear or panic
Shortness of breath
Trembling
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after you’ve experienced a traumatic event. PTSD generally causes different types of symptoms:15
Avoidance: This typically involves feelings of detachment, emotional numbness, and a lack of interest in your hobbies. You may avoid certain people or places that remind you of the event.
Hyperarousal: This includes hypervigilance, or constantly being aware of your surroundings. You may be easily startled, have outbursts of anger, or have trouble sleeping.
Negative thoughts or feelings: PTSD may cause guilt or an inability to remember parts of the event.
Reliving the traumatic event: You might have flashbacks or nightmares about the event. Some people have regular memories of the event, which can be triggered by certain situations.
When To Contact a Healthcare Provider
Anxiety that interferes with your everyday functioning and overall well-being can be distressing. It can impact your social, emotional, and physical health and affect your work and relationships.
Consider visiting a healthcare provider if you have anxiety signs and symptoms. You may also consider seeking help if you have any complications that are associated with the disorder. Complications include digestive issues, insomnia, depression, thoughts of suicide, or alcohol abuse.6
A healthcare provider provider will review your health history and symptoms. They may also take blood tests or order other exams to rule out causes of anxiety, such as thyroid disorders and other mental health disorders.6
There are a number of treatment options available to help manage your symptoms, including medication, therapy, or a combination of both. A healthcare provider will likely encourage lifestyle changes, such as prioritizing sleep, nutrition, exercise, and relaxation. They might also suggest avoiding things that can worsen symptoms, such as caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and stress.