Recent report shows that nearly 20 million people in the States are now suffering anxiety attacks, and even the school-age children can hardly escape. In case you are now struggling with a distressful situation in life, chances are you might get anxiety attacks and should exercise immediate attention. If you are not sure about your mental condition, take a look at the emotional and physical symptoms of anxiety attacks listed below.

EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS

There are numerous emotional symptoms accompanying an anxiety attack, and the most common ones include:

- having ungrounded fear and excessive worry - feeling of losing control of life - being uneasy wherever you go as if you need an escape - feeling insecure and unguarded - becoming restless and edgy - being over self-conscious and hyper-vigilant - feeling confused and lacking concentration

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

There are also numerous physical symptoms for you to look out for. These include:

- Heart Palpitations

This is a sensation of skipped or stopped heart beats, and you feel as though you are suffering an heart attack. This unpleasant palpitation often accompany emotional symptoms such as excessive fear, worry and excitement.

- Chest Pain

In the case of an anxiety attack, the chest pain can be as severe as the case with heart attacks. You can feel in your chest area an extreme heaviness, pressure or discomfort.

- Shortness of Breath

Short breath is usually associated with lack of oxygen in the brain, muscle or other organs in the body. Sometimes, emotional disorder will also lead to this symptom, and you will suffer difficulty in breathing as though all the air is taken away from you.

- Chills or Hot Flashes

This is a short period of hot or cold sensations in your upper body caused by emotional distress.

- Nausea, Vomiting or Diarrhea

Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can all be triggered by a host of emotional conditions such as pain, panic, worries and irritations.

- Sweating

Yes, sweating is not just a natural response to high temperature or exercise. Strong emotions, such as anger, extreme fear or panic, nervousness or embarrassment, can also result in sweating.

- Dizzy Spells and Tremors

If you often feel light-headed without any other symptoms, the symptom is more likely to be emotion-related. Severe dizziness can be helped by taking anti-anxiety medications.

Apart from what was mentioned above, other common physical symptoms include fatigue, insomnia, headaches and muscle aches.

If you have concerns over whether you are suffering anxiety, check yourself against these emotional and physical symptoms of anxiety attacks first. Sometimes, your condition may be more complicating that the doctor will have to screen you against possible physical problems first. The possible solutions that will be recommended include traditional medications, behavioral therapy, or simply self-help if your condition is only minor.

Copyright (c) 2008 Sandy Adamson