To understand what the symptoms are, take into consideration what anxiety is. Everyone goes through parts of their week or day that cause them to worry or to feel nervous. While these things make anyone feel anxious from time to time, those that suffer from anxiety disorders often face these problems at a more intense level. Many people that have a mild or moderate amount of anxiety can use it to their benefit. For example, if you become anxious about something you must do, the anxiety can help to focus your attention, help to give you the attention and energy that you need. It can also help to motivate you to do well.

For those suffering from severe anxiety, though, these feelings are not positive, but rather detrimental to their overall well being. They may feel overwhelmed, unable to focus, helpless, and have extreme, irrational levels of worry. For many, the level of worry is high to the point where it is simple not considered a normal level for the situation. They may experience worries that are unfounded or that are extreme. In situations like this, the symptoms of anxiety should be considered. In fact, any time that anxiety plays a role in altering what is considered a normal way of life, anxiety disorders should be considered.

Also, anxiety to this extreme level may be part of another condition as well. The most common illness associated with anxiety disorders is that of depression. Should the individual become very depressed, they should seek medical attention as soon as possible because it can become a life threatening situation.

The symptoms of anxiety can be broken down into two types: emotional symptoms and phsycial symptoms, each offering their own problematic results. In most cases, individuals that suffer from these symptoms will have them brought on by some situation in particular. After that situation passes, the individual usually feels better, more relaxed and at a more normal level of anxiety. For some very extreme cases, the anxiety disorder can be an ongoing, moment to moment event where they continuously have something to worry about and feel anxious about even as most events they are worried about are completely unfounded.

The physical symptoms of anxiety include a mixture of elements and often can be hidden through skill. These include:

• Breathlessness, the feeling of a rapid heartbeat pounding in your chest
• Trembling, shaking, twitching, moving without control
• A feeling of fullness in your chest, fullness in your throat
• Sweating followed by the chills. Hands may be cold and clammy. For some, they become very cold although anyone else in the room seems warm
• Muscle aches, soreness, or muscle tension in various areas
• Jumpy, easily startled
• Feeling of being very tired even though they may have gotten a lot of rest
• Problems going to sleep, problems staying asleep, restless sleeping, waking early without being able to go back to sleep

These physical symptoms of anxiety can be combined or seen individually. Generally those suffering from an anxiety attack, or an episode where these physical conditions are present, usually exhibit the same symptoms from one episode to the next.

There are additional symptoms of anxiety that are caused by the brain itself. Because anxiety does effect the brain's ability to communicate, it can make situations that much more difficult for the individual. Those that suffer from anxiety often are unable to work through problems in a relationship or they may be unable to express their feelings, ideas or thoughts through words or creatively. Here are some symptoms of anxiety on the emotional level.

• Worrying about everything, anything. Worry is unfounded, or extreme for the situation
• Inability to focus, concentrate or pay attention to what is happening around them. They do not "hear" people talking to them
• Individuals also have the feeling that something bad is about to happen although it is unfounded. They may feel doomed as to what is going to happen next.
• Irritable and easily angered
• Feeling of being on the edge, easily shaken by situations
• Restlessness