It’s normal to feel anxious and nervous before a job interview or blind date, but when those anxious thoughts and feelings start to overwhelm and cripple you, affecting your everyday life, then you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder. Anxiety comes in many different forms, including phobias, panic attacks, and social anxiety, and the distinction between what’s normal and a disorder isn’t always crystal clear.

While anxiety can affect everyone differently, here are some of the common signs of anxiety disorders. Anxiety can provoke both mental and physical symptoms.

• Feelings of apprehension, dread or impending doom
• Feeling tense, irritable or restless
• Difficulty concentrating
• Insomnia and fatigue
• Pounding heart
• Sweating
• Shortness of breath
• Muscle tension, tremors and twitches
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Difficulty controlling worry
• Angry outbursts that may seem “out of character”
• Avoidance of things that trigger your anxiety, such as crowds or social situations

If you exhibit these symptoms and feel your anxiety is getting out of control, then see your doctor or mental health provider right away. There are many methods for treating anxiety, and a specialist can help develop the best treatment plan for you.

While medication is an option, a lot of anxiety patients chose to try psychotherapy before going on medication. Stuart MacFarlane, a Jungian analyst, is a big proponent of psychotherapy in treating anxiety disorders. It gets to the root of the problem and arms patients with coping mechanisms and solutions to better control their anxious thoughts and feelings, he says. Furthermore, insights gained in psychotherapy can enrich the patient’s life in unexpected ways.