How anxious are you? Score yourself

[Rafterman]

Hey all,

What follows is the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (The "HAM-A"), used to gauge the degree of anxiety that a person is experiencing.  Score each question from zero (non-existent), to five (severe). Then add them up and please consider reporting your score to the group.

Most people taking this test are surprised that their score is lower than they thought that it would be, while a smaller number think that their score exceeded their expectations.

(I scored a 15. In the past I have scored as high as 22 and as low as 8)


A score of 14-17 indicates mild anxiety. A score of 18-24 indicates moderate anxiety. A score of 25-30 indicates severe anxiety.

     1. ANXIOUS MOOD
     Worries/Anticipates worst
  
     2. TENSION
       Startles/Cries easily/Restless/Trembling
 
     3. FEARS
        Fear of the dark/of strangers/of being alone/of animals

    4. INSOMNIA
         Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep/nightmares

    5. INTELLECTUAL
         Poor concentration/Memory Impairment

     6. DEPRESSED MOOD
         Decreased interest in activities/Insomnia/Oversleeping
 
      7. SOMATIC COMPLAINTS: MUSCULAR
          Muscle aches or pain/Bruxism
    
       8. SOMATIC COMPLAINTS: SENSORY
         Tinnitus/Blurred vision
 
       9. CARDIOVASCULAR SYMPTOMS
            Tachycardia/Palpitations/Chest Pain/Sensation of feeling faint

     10. RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS
             Chest pressure/ Choking sensation/Shortness of Breath
   
      11. GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS
             Dysphagia/Nausea or Vomiting/Constipation/Weight loss/Abdominal fullness

     12 GENITOURINARY SYMPTOMS
           Urinary frequency or urgency/Dysmenorrhea/Impotence

      13. AUTONOMIC SYMPTOMS
•         Dry Mouth/Flushing/Pallor/Sweating

      14. GENERAL BEHAVIOR 
•          Fidgeting/Tremor/Pacing

[cmdline]

about 20 give or take few points.

[thegreaseman]

Moderate to severe. Thanks for posting these Rafterman!

[Rafterman]

about 20 give or take few points.

Thanks for participating, C. May I ask if that score was higher, or lower, than you expected?

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Moderate to severe. Thanks for posting these Rafterman!

Thanks. My pleasure, G. Does your score match how intense you perceive you anxiety to be? Sometimes I feel that I barely holding on with anxiety, just devastated by it...and then I do the test and I find that I am only at a moderate level. Sometimes I even score a "mild to moderate". It makes me feel like I have more control when I see that, if you know what I mean.

[Blockhead59]

Yes, Rafterman, thanks for posting these. I've taken both in doc's offices before, but always felt pressured to answer "something," even when the answer didn't feel exactly right. This gives more time to think about the answers and which really sense to me and helps me think about the answers.

[thegreaseman]

about 20 give or take few points.

Thanks for participating, C. May I ask if that score was higher, or lower, than you expected?

---

Moderate to severe. Thanks for posting these Rafterman!

Thanks. My pleasure, G. Does your score match how intense you perceive you anxiety to be? Sometimes I feel that I barely holding on with anxiety, just devastated by it...and then I do the test and I find that I am only at a moderate level. Sometimes I even score a "mild to moderate". It makes me feel like I have more control when I see that, if you know what I mean.

Yes, it seems accurate to me. Moderate most days, severe others.

[Naomi]

Severe for me, which I was expecting. Things in my life are especially difficult and stressful, so severe makes perfect sense. I only ever dip down to moderate every so often. I mainly hover around severe. But that's what treatment and meds are for right?

[Rafterman]

Yes, Rafterman, thanks for posting these. I've taken both in doc's offices before, but always felt pressured to answer "something," even when the answer didn't feel exactly right. This gives more time to think about the answers and which really sense to me and helps me think about the answers.

My pleasure, BH. I have had the same experience in doctor's offices. Now every doc in the world thinks that he is a therapist. Even the GP's are now administering the tests. I think that they are just trying to cover themselves legally before prescribing meds to treat anxiety or depression. These tests have been around since the early 1960's and all of a sudden they are back in fashion.

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Severe for me, which I was expecting. Things in my life are especially difficult and stressful, so severe makes perfect sense. I only ever dip down to moderate every so often. I mainly hover around severe. But that's what treatment and meds are for right?

Absolutely! So sorry to hear that you score runs that high, Naomi.  I lived a lot of my life at fairly high levels, which lead to dx's for GAD, PD and MDD. The funny thing is that now, when I am the sickest I have ever been (physically), my HAM scores have dropped pretty dramatically. It's like my mind is so focused on my physical illness that it has no time for my emotional ones. I just wish that I didn't have to get sick to experience that drop. I am not recommending physical sickness to anyone..lol. Just telling of my experience. RM

[bry686]

18 for me. The physical questions I scored low but it was the anxiety and depression where I scored high

[Rafterman]

18 for me. The physical questions I scored low but it was the anxiety and depression where I scored high

Same thing for me, Bry, although I had a 15 overall. Do you feel that an 18 accurately depicts how anxious you feel on a daily basis?