We all experience anxiety. It can make you feel nervous, agitated, and fearful. This can be a normal response to certain situations, such as panicking before an important job interview or worrying about paying a bill on time. These feelings provide us with an awareness of risk and help us understand what to do when presented with a stressful or dangerous situation. This reaction is referred to as the fight-or-flight response.
Your brain responds to danger by releasing stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones trigger the physical and emotional symptoms of anxiety, and once the situation has ended the symptoms typically fade away.
However, if you suffer from an anxiety disorder, the feelings associated with anxiety can remain with you, long after the threat has gone, even when the danger isn’t real.
Everyone’s experience of anxiety is different, and not everyone living with an anxiety disorder is going to experience the same symptoms. The emotional symptoms of anxiety will vary from person to person and are deeply intertwined with anxiety’s psychological and behavioural aspects.
Here’s a list of how anxiety can make you feel, and how it can affect the mind.
1. Excessive worry
Persistent and excessive worrying about daily life, the future, or potential negative outcomes are all common hallmarks of anxiety.
Those struggling with anxiety may find it difficult to control their worries, often overthink, and become overwhelmed and consumed by their thoughts. As a result, this may lead them to spend a significant amount of time dwelling on “what if” scenarios and fearing the worst possible outcomes.
2. Fear and apprehension
Feelings of fear, apprehension and dread are all common emotional responses to anxiety. People report experiencing a strong sense of apprehension or unease about certain events, situations or activities.
In many cases, the fear itself is disproportionate to the threat posed by the event, situation or activity. This can cause avoidance behaviour, and a reluctance to engage in anything that is considered anxiety-provoking.
3. Sense of powerlessness
People living with anxiety may experience a feeling of powerlessness and a lack of control over their own emotions and thoughts.
This feeling of powerlessness for many is a distressing experience, and people may struggle to manage their anxiety despite their best efforts. This lack of control can lead to feelings of hopelessness, irritation and frustration.
4. Feeling on edge
Feeling on edge or sensing that something terrible is about to happen is a common emotional symptom of anxiety.
Individuals may experience a heightened sense of alertness and often find themselves scanning their environment for potential threats. Being in this persistent state is exhausting, and can cause a great amount of unease and tension.
5. Difficulty concentrating
Anxiety can affect your ability to concentrate and focus on a given task. People may find it difficult to pay attention or complete certain tasks due to intrusive thoughts or preoccupation.
This emotional symptom of anxiety can cause a reduction in productivity, stall performance and make you feel frustrated and inadequate.
6. Catastrophizing
Catastrophising involves thinking and imagining the worst outcomes of various situations. Even when the evidence suggests a more positive outcome.
This pattern of thinking can intensify the feelings associated with anxiety such as fear and nervousness. People who catastrophize often magnify the consequences of their actions and situations, this can cause greater emotional distress.
7. Feeling overwhelmed
People living with anxiety can find themselves overwhelmed by daily tasks, responsibilities, or decisions.
Even the simplest of activities that others may handle with ease can start to feel insurmountable to someone experiencing the symptoms of anxiety. This can lead many to feel hopeless and may contribute to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.
8. Anticipatory anxiety
Some people experience anxiety due to the anticipation of a future event. Just the idea of an upcoming event can be enough to trigger feelings of dread and worry.
Those experiencing anticipatory anxiety will experience the symptoms well in advance of the event itself, this can lead to avoidance behaviour and in some cases even panic attacks.
9. Persistent negative thought
Anxiety can create a continual cycle of negative thoughts and doubt. People may engage in self-criticism, develop feelings of inadequacy, or become fearful of failure, all feeding and growing their anxiety.
In time these negative thought patterns can significantly affect self-esteem and well-being.
10. Sense of impending doom
People living with the symptoms of anxiety may experience a sense of impending doom or develop a feeling that something bad is going to happen.
This emotional symptom can be difficult to manage and contribute to anxiety itself. These feelings can lead to a greater sense of vulnerability, and cause people to constantly worry about potential threats.
11. Feeling detached or unreal
In some severe cases, anxiety can develop into feelings of detachment or unrealness, this is known as depersonalisation or depersonalisation. People have described feeling like they are living inside a dream and feel disconnected from the world around them.
For many, this can be disconcerting and fuel feelings of disorientation and confusion.
12. Emotional sensitivity
People struggling with anxiety often report heightened emotional sensitivity. In other words, they experience emotions with more intensity.
Smaller stressors or events that others may be able to cope with easily can trigger strong emotional reactions in someone with anxiety. This emotional sensitivity can lead to mood swings and problems regulating emotions.
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