High Anxiety Symptoms

Anxiety is a mental health diagnosis that includes generalized anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder and may be co-diagnosed with depression. Although many of the symptoms of anxiety are within the brain, such as excessive worrying, insecurity and being distracted, the symptoms of high anxiety may also be physical in nature. People who believe they are experiencing anxiety beyond what is normal or are unable to do the things they normally do should contact their doctors, as there are both medical and alternative treatments for anxiety disorders.

Sleep

• People with severe anxiety may have problems being able to fall asleep or stay asleep due to overactivity in the brain.

Panic

• High anxiety can cause feelings of panic such as excessive sweating, trouble breathing and cold, clammy hands, and according to the Mayo Clinic, these symptoms are common in social situations.

Fatigue

• People with anxiety who use a lot of mental energy worrying may also wear themselves out physically, especially if they also experience sleep disturbances.

Pain

• According to the Mayo Clinic, anxiety can cause headaches and painful muscle tension which can become more frequent and intense as anxiety worsens.

Moodiness

• Besides worry, anxiety can cause feelings of irritability, stress, avoidance of other people and social unpleasantness, which can affect other members of the household.

Eating

• People with high anxiety may turn to food in times of stress and end up overeating, while others may have no appetite at all and not eat enough for good nutrition.

Substance Abuse

• People who experience high levels of anxiety over an extended period of time may smoke and drink more than they intended to or start to use other types of drugs to relieve their worries and improve their moods, according to the Mayo Clinic.