5 Initial Symptoms Of Anxiety That Go Unnoticed

Many times the initial symptoms of anxiety go unnoticed because they are subtle  and even, to the layman, it may seem that they have nothing to do with this evil. Neurosciences have detected that these signals appear early and constitute a warning voice to understand what is happening.

Once anxiety has settled in, the feelings that can predominate are uncertainty, diffuse fear and a kind of inner abyss. Physical, psychological, cognitive and emotional symptoms converge in anxiety. Hence, it is a complex condition, one that does not come out easily.

As with all these problems, the faster it is detected, the sooner it can be intervened and the greater the chances of overcoming it. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the initial symptoms of anxiety. These are 5 of them.

1. Cold feet, one of the initial symptoms of anxiety

The temperature of the feet can be a clue to our emotional state. One of the initial symptoms of anxiety can be having cold feet, recurrently and without a physiological reason that explains it in a superficial analysis. Why is it considered that it can be the correlate of an anxious state?

It happens that when a human being feels threatened, blood flow increases to the organs that are in the torso. Basically towards the heart and the digestive system. It is a way of reacting to danger. When this occurs, the extremities, especially the feet, are less irrigated. Therefore, the temperature drops.

2. Repeated yawning

Another of the initial symptoms of anxiety is yawning more often than normal. There is a study from Bournemouth University (England) that corroborates this. According to this research, people under states of anxiety, fear or panic tend to yawn more frequently.

The study revealed that there is a direct relationship between the number of yawns and the production of cortisol, the stress hormone. The more you yawn, the more cortisol. This is because cortisol increases body temperature. Yawning, meanwhile, contributes to lowering the temperature.

3. Mental fog

Mental fog is a condition that makes concentration difficult. It is experienced as a certain sense of unreality. The person who suffers from it feels that they cannot connect with the present moment and the thought cannot be formed easily.

This mental fog is also called “fibro fog” and can be one of the initial symptoms of anxiety. There are so many ideas in the mind, that a kind of veil forms in your thinking. That is why it is so difficult to focus attention.

4. Recurring nightmares

We have all had a nightmare. This phenomenon, associated with sleep, may be related to situations that we have experienced, that have deeply impressed us and that we have not finished digesting. However, when this becomes recurrent, it may be a manifestation of latent anxiety.

Dreams, and especially nightmares, can be a manifestation of our unconscious. Perhaps they speak of situations that we do not have in our conscience, but that are weighing on our life. Thus, nightmares can be an unmistakable sign of incipient anxiety.

5. Metallic taste in the mouth

A study on anxiety was conducted at the University of Bristol (UK). It was found that anxious people tend to have a heightened perception of salty and bitter tastes. Likewise, it has been established that one of the initial symptoms of anxiety is an annoying metallic taste in the mouth.

This occurs because anxiety is a potentially strong emotion that in some people stimulates the growth of bacteria in the mouth . This, in turn, leads to bleeding gums. However, this can be very mild and that is why it is often not seen with the naked eye. What you do feel is the metallic taste of blood in your mouth.

Anxiety, like other psychological conditions, translates into behaviors that form patterns. Without realizing it, we learn those patterns and begin to repeat them. In other words, we learn these anxious behaviors and adopt them. When that happens, getting out of the circle is a challenge that gets complicated.

That is why it is very important to maintain an attitude of self-observation. Detect changes, new symptoms, annoyances, no matter how small. If we can identify anxiety in its early stages, we will be in a better position to deal with it.