How Do I Know I Have An Anxiety Disorder?

It is common to feel anxious at specific moments in our lives. Everyone feels it before an exam, giving a presentation in public, waiting for medical results, asking your first date out, waiting for that important call or job offer. But…how can we differentiate feeling anxious in specific moments to actually suffering from a disorder?

The truth about anxiety; it is a response to something we know that is actually not real. We feel anxious about things our mind supposes to happen, therefore reacts as a defensive and protection mechanism, to defeat the danger or threat. We experience anxiety when we are anticipating the future, ruminating thoughts, and/or magnifying situations.

In a personal level, I suffered from severe anxiety when I was constantly thinking about a future that wasn’t existing. The stories on what I will be doing, what I will be saying, what I will be receiving from life, the conversations I will be having, the results from activities, etc created huge stress in my mind and life in general. The uncertainty of how things would happen made me anxious. I was continuously overthinking, doubting, and creating unrealistic stories on how my life would be and this made me have maladaptive behaviors.

The anxiety I suffered from a few years ago made me scratch my arms until the cuts and pain reduced the stress, chew raw rice as the hardness of the texture also calmed the tension I felt, and worst of all, it kept me awake night after night… Not only this, but I found myself lost in conversations as I was always concerned about my inner voice, I felt tired and with little energy, and even a hard time focusing on my goals. The suffering from insomnia made me realize that I wasn’t just getting nervous, impatient or anxious in specific moments. It was beyond that. The stress was present daily…the fear, the thoughts, the inner chattering, all present at all times.

I believe it is important to distinguish the non-anxious people with others who actually suffer from this disorder because many times others tell us something like “get over it” or “relax, it is not a big deal.” The truth is that someone who is suffering is trying very hard to take those next steps he/she knows he/she should take. The person wants to socialize, integrate themselves with friends and family, go to those plans and activities, spread their message, take that risk… but there is something inside that is holding them back. The worries, the doubts, the fears…the internal world is what kept me sitting in that chair while I could see the light life was blessing me with…

Below I list a few symptoms to identify anxiety disorders;

If you find yourself feeling anxious the majority of the days, experiencing one or more of the symptoms listed above for at least six months, then it might be a sign of an anxiety disorder. If you feel that your thoughts and emotions are affecting your daily performance and interfering in your mental peace, I would suggest speaking to a professional.

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