Feeling anxious

Category: Mind, Mood & Sleep · All mind & sleep symptoms

What it can feel like

Feeling anxious means persistent worry, tension and apprehension that is hard to switch off — racing thoughts, restlessness, muscle tension, poor concentration, irritability and broken sleep. Anxiety becomes a disorder when the worry is excessive relative to its triggers, most days for months, and interferes with life.

Possible causes

A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.

Common causes

Anxiety can be associated with stress load, caffeine, alcohol (and its withdrawal), poor sleep, and specific fears or social anxiety patterns; it commonly travels with low mood.

Other possible causes

Anxiety can also be associated with an overactive thyroid (anxiety with tremor, palpitations and weight loss is thyroid until proven otherwise), heart rhythm problems, some medicines and stimulants, and phaeochromocytoma (rare, with pounding episodic headaches and sweating).

Red flags — when to seek help promptly

Anxiety with chest pain, severe palpitations or fainting — exclude physical causes first
Anxiety with weight loss, tremor and heat intolerance (possible thyroid)
Anxiety so severe you cannot work, leave home or care for yourself
Anxiety with thoughts of self-harm — seek support the same day (US 988, UK Samaritans 116 123, or emergency services)
New severe anxiety with confusion or hallucinations

What a clinician may do

A clinician will map what the worry attaches to, its physical symptoms, and its effects; screen mood alongside; and check physical mimics (thyroid, heart rhythm) where features suggest them. Treatment spans psychological therapy (especially CBT), self-management techniques, and medicines for moderate to severe cases.

Watch: related videos

Examination and clinical videos from the MedicalVideos.com library relevant to this symptom. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.

▶ WatchGeneralized anxiety disorder symptoms of anxiety attack shortness of breath anxietyWatch on MedicalVideos.com ▶ WatchAnxiety and panic attacksWatch on MedicalVideos.com ▶ WatchAnxiety disorders calming and treatmentWatch on MedicalVideos.com

Related guides on MedicalVideos.com

Frequently asked questions

Why does my heart race when nothing is wrong?

Anxiety is the body's alarm system firing — adrenaline raises heart rate, breathing and muscle tension whether the threat is a deadline or a danger. The sensations are real physiology, which is why 'just relax' fails and why retraining the alarm (therapy, breathing work, treating triggers) is the actual treatment.

Can anxiety be caused by my thyroid?

Yes — thyroxine excess produces anxiety, tremor, palpitations, heat intolerance and weight loss as a package. The combination, rather than anxiety alone, triggers the blood test; treating the thyroid settles the anxiety with it.

Related symptoms — Mind, Mood & Sleep

Brain fog Insomnia Losing interest in things Low mood Panic attacks Physical symptoms of stress

Browse the F section of the A–Z list or return to the Symptoms A–Z hub.

Please note: This page is educational information about a symptom. A symptom alone cannot diagnose any condition, and the causes listed here are possibilities, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about a symptom — especially one that is new, severe, getting worse or not going away — please see your own clinician, who can examine you and arrange tests. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.