Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxiety symptoms fall into three categories: physiological, cognitive and emotional. Count the following symptoms that apply to you:
Physiological symptoms
Do you feel:
- Weak all over?
- Rapid, pounding heartbeat or palpitations?
- Tightness around your chest?
- Hyperventilation (a feeling that you cannot get enough air)?
- Periodic dizziness and sweating?
- Muscle tension, aches or tremors?
- Chronic fatigue?
Cognitive symptoms
Do you think to yourself:
- I can't carry on. I've got to get out of here.
- What if I make a fool of myself?
- People are looking at me all the time.
- I'm having a heart attack.
- I'm going to faint.
- I'm going crazy.
- I can't go on alone; no one will help me.
- I can't go out; I will lose control.
- I feel confused and can't remember things.
Emotional symptoms
Do you think to yourself:
- I'm full of fears that I can't get out of my mind.
- I feel like something terrible is going to happen.
- I worry excessively.
- I feel uneasy and alone a lot of the time.
- I often feel isolated, lonely, down in the dumps and depressed.
- I feel I have no control over what happens to me.
- I feel embarrassed, rejected and criticized.
- I often feel like screaming with anger.
Scoring
This checklist is not designed to be a diagnostic tool so much as it is intended to communicate the variety of symptoms experienced by people with high anxiety. However, if you are experiencing at least three symptoms in each category, then your anxiety level is starting to be a problem, especially if you experience the symptoms often. If you are experiencing more than three symptoms in each category and are not in treatment for an anxiety-related problem, then I would suggest that you consult a professional right away. It is better to be safe than to regret your failure to take action at a later point. If taking this inventory causes you anxiety, you probably need to get some help.
To learn more about anxiety or to consider talking with a licensed, professional Christian counselor, please visit our "Consider Counseling" page.
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