Video:Common Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder

Transcript:Common Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder

Hi, I'm Omar Saad, here for About.com, and today we're going to take a lookAt how to tell if your anxiety symptoms may represent an anxiety disorder. Regardless of your specific circumstances, at some point, we all have moments of anxiety. However, if the type and frequency of anxiety meets certain criteria, then you may have Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Definition of an Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety can manifest itself in many forms. The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders defines Generalized Anxiety Disorder as "excessive anxiety and worry about a number of events or activities on most days for at least six months." Furthermore if you find this anxiety and worry to be difficult to control or get a hold of, this too can be another indicator of the disorder.

Restlessness and Fatigue Are Common Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder

Before seeking an official diagnosis consider the following symptoms: do you often feel restlessness, or feel keyed up or on the edge over the course of a normal day? Do you find yourself to be easily fatigued over the course normal tasks or activities? Do you often have difficulty concentrating or do you find your mind often going blank? Do you find that your are often irritable? Do you find that you often have muscle tension? Finally are your nights often interrupted by sleep disturbances?

How to Tell If You Have an Anxiety Disorder

According to the diagnostic manual, suffering from at least three of these symptoms in addition to the excessive worry, can be a possible indicator of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Another indicator according to the manual is if you anxiety causes significant distress or impairment in your daily life. In other words, do you find it difficult to do or achieve the little things on a day in and day out basis? Do you find yourself often frozen with worry?

Tips for Determining If You Have an Anxiety Disorder

While all of us suffer from worry and anxiety from time to time, those of us who find that it takes over our lives may be suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder. If you feel that you might fall into this category, you should consult your doctor for a proper diagnosis and any necessary treatment.

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