Director Li Guobing of Anhui Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital introduced that the research on mental health in China shows that among various major mental disorders in China, the prevalence of anxiety disorders is the highest, even exceeding that of depression. Among Chinese adults, the lifetime prevalence of any anxiety disorder is 7.6%, with an annual prevalence of 4.98%. Based on this estimation, approximately 40 million people suffer from anxiety disorders each year. Today, let’s understand together what are the symptoms of anxiety disorders?
First, emotional symptoms.
Individuals with anxiety disorders are always overly vigilant, continuously worrying about unknown and unpredictable things, displaying excessive fear, anxiety, nervousness, tension, and restlessness.
Second, physical symptoms.
Director Li Guobing of Anhui Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital mentioned that anxiety in patients can lead to excessive activation of the brain’s sympathetic nervous system, triggering stress responses in various organs such as breathing, urination, and cardiovascular system. Symptoms may include palpitations, rapid breathing, headache, muscle tension, stomach discomfort, nausea, fatigue, breathlessness, numbness in limbs, convulsions, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, and other manifestations. In addition, patients may also experience irregular menstruation, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, dry mouth, frequent urination, urgency to urinate, etc.
Third, behavioral symptoms.
Patients may exhibit unnatural behaviors like fidgeting, hand wringing, inability to sit still, restlessness, pacing back and forth, trembling limbs, stiffness in movement, and even tremors in speech.
Fourth, panic attacks.
Patients may suddenly feel extreme fear and discomfort, accompanied by physical and psychological symptoms such as palpitations, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, sweating, tremors, and a sense of losing control.
Director Li Guobing of Anhui Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital emphasized that it is important to note that the specific manifestations of anxiety disorder symptoms vary from person to person, and the severity also differs. Once you recognize that you are experiencing anxiety disorder, promptly seek help from a professional physician, cooperate fully in targeted and individualized treatment, and help yourself get rid of anxiety disorders sooner.
