6 EARLY SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS YOU MAY BE STRUGGLING WITH ANXIETY

Medically reviewed by Michael MacIntyre, MD

Everyone feels anxious from time to time, but an anxiety disorder causes significant or frequent worry that can impact your life in many ways. Symptoms might be subtle at first, and may even seem unrelated to an anxiety disorder—potentially affecting your mood, focus, sleep, and digestion.

1. Sleep Disturbances

Anxiety can significantly impact sleep, and sleep disorders can also contribute to anxiety. Anxiety can lead to repetitive thoughts and excessive worry that makes it difficult to fall asleep (insomnia).

People with anxiety disorders may also experience:

• Difficulty staying asleep
• Nightmares or night terrors
• Frequent nighttime awakening
• Early morning awakening

2. Difficulty Focusing

Anxiety can impact cognition, or mental processes. One common effect is difficulty concentrating. People with anxiety may find it hard to focus on a task or may find their mind "going blank." In fact, this is one of the criteria used to help diagnose generalized anxiety disorder.

Anxiety can cause trouble with focus, or brain fog, for various reasons. It may cause ruminating or repetitive thoughts that make it hard to concentrate on other things.

Anxiety also activates the body's fight-or-flight response to help prepare the body to defend itself or evade threats. This directs the body's resources, heightening alertness to threats while making it hard to focus.

3. Difficulty Making Decisions

If you find yourself struggling to make decisions, anxiety might be to blame. For some people, overanalyzing options and anticipating bad things that could happen in the future is a symptom of anxiety. This can make it hard to make decisions, which requires analyzing potential consequences of choices.

4. Irritability

Another common symptom that isn't as obviously connected to anxiety is irritability. Anxiety can contribute to feelings of frustration, annoyance, or anger. With anxiety, the body's arousal system and stress hormones are activated, which can put you on edge. This can impact relationships with others.

5. Muscle Tension

The heightened arousal that happens with anxiety also takes a toll on your muscles. While your body is prepared to evade or face threats, muscles can become tense. This is especially common in the neck and back muscles.

People may also experience tension headaches related to anxiety. Tension headaches can be felt in the head, scalp, or neck—often due to muscle tightness.

6. Gastrointestinal Issues

Another less obvious symptom of anxiety is gastrointestinal (GI) issues. The brain and gut are closely connected. Stress and anxiety can lead to several GI symptoms, such as:

• Changes in appetite
• Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Change in bowel habits, such as loose stools or constipation

For people with chronic GI conditions, like irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety can exacerbate symptoms and cause flare-ups.

When to Seek Help

Experiencing stress and anxiety is a part of life, but when anxiety symptoms start to interfere with your life, it's time to seek help. Talk with your healthcare provider about what you're feeling. Just because you experience any of the symptoms listed above doesn't necessarily mean you have an anxiety disorder. Your provider can help you figure out the best course of action.

Anxiety is a highly treatable condition. Your healthcare provider can help recommend a psychologist for cognitive behavioral therapy, which can be highly effective for managing symptoms. Medication is also an effective option.

Help Is Available

If you or someone you know are having suicidal thoughts, dial 988 to contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and connect with a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

How to Cope When You're Feeling Anxious

Next time you're feeling anxious, try the following coping strategies:

• Movement: Get regular exercise, whether that includes walking, jogging, biking, swimming, or another form of movement that you enjoy.
• Find social support: Talk to your friends or family when you feel overwhelmed, or join a support group.
• Identify your triggers: Determine if there's a source of your stress, such as work, school, or family problems.
• Relaxing activities: Make time for enjoyable hobbies or activities, such as meditation, journaling, or spending time in nature.
• Breathing exercises: Learn calming breathing techniques, such as diaphragmatic breathing, as a way to calm the nervous system.

Read the original article on Verywell Health

2025-09-04T16:03:06Z