Women are at a higher risk of suffering from some type of anxiety disorder during their life. Unfortunately because the symptoms of these are part of regular life at times, many women don't seek the help that they should. By learning how to identify the symptoms of an anxiety disorder you will be better equipped to help yourself as well as other women. Here are the most common symptoms that every woman should be on the lookout for:
Symptom #1: Being Self-Conscious
Every woman experiences being self-conscious, but women who suffer from social anxiety disorder suffer more than others. They worry that as soon as they walk out into a public place they are going to be judged and ridiculed by other people. They feel that this will lead to them being embarrassed for the rest of their life. This self-consciousness affects women whether they are going out to grab a bite to eat or even just driving down the road to go to the grocery store. The overwhelming worry from this can really harm regular life.
Symptom #2: Intense Fear
Individuals who have phobias are extremely fearful of things that they should not be. This could be something as simple as a piece of paper or even a cat; it just depends on the person. Unfortunately a phobia like this can really affect life, especially if the woman is scared of something that can be seen just about anywhere. If you or someone you know has an intense fear of something that they shouldn't, then they likely have anxiety disorder in the form of a phobia.
Symptom #3: Feelings of Terror
Women who suffer from panic disorders will have feelings of terror at random times when they aren't even scared. They will start to have chest pain, feel like they are having a heart attack and have an increased heart rate. In addition to this she will start to sweat and feel like she doesn't have control over herself. This is an anxiety disorder that generally lands women in the hospital, as the feelings they are experiencing make them think they are in need of medical attention.
Symptom #4: Physical Changes
With most anxiety disorders women are going to experience physical changes. This could be numbness in the hands or feet, but it could also be sweating all over the body. Some women also experience shortness of breath along with dry mouth and heart palpitations.
Symptom #5: Feeling Ill
Anxiety disorders can make a woman feel extremely sick. She could have problems sleeping, feelings like she is going to throw up, dizziness and even muscle tension. These symptoms usually occur at a stressful time, although some women feel these all throughout the day.
Symptom #6: Not in Control
With certain anxiety disorders women will start to lose control of their thoughts. Instead of being able to focus on things they need to do for the day, they will instead obsess over just one thing. This will take over their entire day and can cause them to forget things, get into accidents and avoid things that were once important.
Some women also lose control of their ability to do things regularly, as they feel the need to repeat things over and over. Some find that repeating out loud is fine, but others need to do physical actions in order to feel "okay" with themselves.
Diagnosing Anxiety Disorders in Women
When doctors diagnose anxiety disorders in women they will take a look at a number of different things. This will include lab tests as well as psychiatric evaluations that are all done by professionals. The attitude of the patient and their behavior will also affect the outcome of the tests. It may take a while to get a diagnosis, but this depends on the patient and the information that they provide.
Once the disorder has been diagnosed and the doctor is confident with their analysis, they can move on to determining which treatment option is the best choice. There are a wide variety of options out there that are made to suit different women and different types of anxiety disorder. There are a lot of considerations that have to go into treating a disorder, which is why professional advice is so important.