Have you been struggling to understand why you feel the way that you do and wondering if you may have anxiety? It can be confusing to sift through all the information on anxiety that is available online, through social media, and from others. To make it simple, I am going to help you answer that question more directly.
I first want to start off by saying that feeling anxious or worried is a natural human emotion. We all get anxious at times and this does not mean we have what would be considered a clinical diagnosis of anxiety. Feeling worried about something that is naturally worrisome is expected. There are a lot of reasons someone might be feeling anxious that will be considered a normal response to a specific situation. However, too much of anything can be problematic and too much anxiety can be overwhelming to manage.
Common reasons you may feel anxious look like:
- Worrying about something that is coming up that you are aware of
- A big life change or transition (moving, a new job, starting college, a new relationship, etc)
- Something is important and matters to you (passing a test, doing well on a presentation at work, etc)
- Doing something that you have never done before
- Having hard conversations
- Encountering a stressful situation or event that was not foreseen
- Thinking about something bad that may happen
While everyone experiences and manages anxiety and its symptoms differently, there are specific symptoms that we see individuals have when they are anxious or struggling with anxiety.
The most common symptoms of anxiety look/feel like:
- Feeling worried, nervous, anxious or on edge
- Difficulty controlling thoughts causing worry or anxiousness
- Not being able to stop or control worry
- Worrying too much about different things
- Trouble relaxing
- Feeling restless or that it’s hard to sit still
- Becoming easily irritated or annoyed
- Feeling afraid that something bad may happen
When anxiety becomes extremely high and/or you have minimal coping tools to help reduce anxiety, it can also cause anxiety attacks or panic attacks. These can feel overwhelming, cause heart racing/palpitations, and difficulty breathing. Because anxiety is unique to the situation and person, there is a range of symptoms and severity of those symptoms. However, there are key things to consider when identifying whether or not you have anxiety. Consider the following:
- Do I feel more anxious than I would like?
- Do I struggle to cope with anxiety or worry?
- Does it feel difficult to control my thoughts?
- Do I experience anxiety or panic attacks?
- Do I often think about worst case scenarios?
- Do I frequently think/feel that something bad will happen?
- Do I feel worried about things that others do not seem worried about?
- Do I feel that my anxiety is higher than it should be in certain situations?
- Do my symptoms negatively impact my life? (work, relationships, self-esteem, confidence, etc)
- Have I tried coping with my anxiety symptoms without long-term success?
If you answered “yes” to any of the above, you may be struggling with anxiety and it could be beneficial to seek support. Therapy can be a great place to address symptoms of anxiety, help you better understand your triggers, learn healthy coping tools, and reduce your symptoms. Reach out today to learn how I help women reduce anxiety and live a life on their terms.