Instructions: To discover the role anxiety plays in your life, complete the following anxiety self-assessment quiz.
Thoughts and behaviors
Do you often…
- Find yourself thinking about bad things that might happen in the future?
- Have a powerful, ongoing fear of social situations involving people you don’t know well?
- Feel overwhelmed or “stressed out”?
- Have unrealistically high expectations of yourself?
- Feel unable to control your anxious feelings?
- Generally feel worried. Have you felt this way for six months or more?
- Worry about disappointing or not pleasing others?
- Feel trapped in, or avoid social situations where it might be difficult to escape if you wanted to, such as in a crowd or on the highway?
- Have an ongoing fear of a specific object or situation, such as spiders, flying, heights, etc. for no apparent reason?
- Find it difficult to express undesirable emotions such as anger?
- Fear going to unfamiliar places or talking to unfamiliar people alone?
- Feel afraid or anxious because of a traumatic event in your past that involved actual or threatened harm to yourself or someone you loved (such as abuse, a serious accident, war)?
- Avoid the things you’re afraid of?
- Experience racing or disturbing thoughts that you’re unable to get out of your mind?
- Have habits that you do repeatedly such as checking the clock, checking the door locks, or washing your hands, even though you know it’s not necessary?
- Feel that you must be perfect?
- Self-medicate by using sugar, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, or prescription or illegal drugs to help you feel less anxious?
- Feel that anxiety interferes with your daily life?
- Fear being out of control?
- Find yourself using words such as “can’t,” “should,” and “have to”?
- Push yourself to do more, even when you’re physically and mentally exhausted?
Physical symptoms
Do you often…
- Feel short of breath or have difficulty taking deep breaths?
- Feel fatigued?
- Feel tense?
- Feel that your heart is racing?
- Experience repeated panic attacks that include intense fear and physical symptoms?
- Have difficulty concentrating? Feel moody or irritable? Feel “spacey” or disconnected from your body?
- Feel numbness or trembling?
- Feel dizzy or lightheaded?
- Experience uncomfortable physical symptoms when you think about or are in a situation that makes you feel anxious?
Have you noticed…
- Recent changes in your sleep or eating patterns?
- That you hide your symptoms from others?
If you responded “Yes” to four or more questions and have felt this way for more than a few weeks, you may suffer from an anxiety disorder.
In this case, you might want to contact the personal mental health counselor at 740.364.9578 or visit the Office of Student Life, The John L. & Christine Warner Library and Student Center, room 226.