Do I have anxiety?
As a therapist who specializes in Anxiety disorders, and spends countless hours with clients breaking down their anxious thoughts I figured it was time to shed some light on the topic.
The clinical definition of Anxiety- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a mental health condition characterized by persistent and excessive worry about various aspects of daily life—such as work, health, family, or finances—even when there is little or no reason to worry. These symptoms must occur more days than not for at least 6 months in order to meet criteria for an anxiety diagnosis.
My diagnosis of Anxiety- worried about a lot of shit all the time.
Anxiety can manifest in 3 different ways. Our behaviors, physically and psychologically.
Behavioral Symptoms:
Avoiding situations that trigger anxiety
Difficulty making decisions due to fear of making the wrong choice
Seeking excessive reassurance from others
Having poor boundaries with others
Physical Symptoms:
Fatigue or feeling easily tired
Muscle tension or body aches
Sleep disturbances (difficulty falling or staying asleep, restless sleep)
Increased heart rate, blood pressure, or palpitations
Sweating, nausea, or stomach issues (yes, IBS!)
Headaches or dizziness
Psychological Symptoms:
Excessive worry about everyday things (school, work, health, money, relationships)
Inability to control or stop worrying
Restlessness or feeling on edge
Difficulty concentrating, mind going blank, brain fog
Irritability
Do you align with any of these symptoms?
Getting to the root cause of your anxiety can be a freeing experience. My favorite thing to hear from a client is “Oh my gosh I’ve never thought of it that way”. Music to my ears.
Some times, we don’t understand ourselves as well as we should. Some times, the reason we don’t understand ourselves is we don’t take the opportunity to sit and just ‘be’. To think, why did I feel that way?
A common question I ask clients who have experienced anxiety is “what were you thinking about when you were feeling anxious?” Some times they don’t know the answer. Give yourself the gift of time and attention to focus on what caused the feeling for you.
Is your anxious thought rational or irrational? Is your anxious thought a pattern for you or was it a new thought? Was it caused by stress and overwhelm or have you been avoiding something? These are the hard questions most of us avoid and ‘just move on’. Until you can’t move on anymore and it starts seeping into other areas of your life.
Anxiety symptoms can also lead to other mental health diagnoses like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Depression. Anxiety is a very real condition that can alter your life if it goes untreated.
You are capable of experiencing anxiety without being diagnosed with anxiety.
If we have flu symptoms, then you likely test positive for the flu. But, if you experience anxiety that does not mean you are diagnosed with anxiety. That is the misconception. The fear. No one wants the label of a diagnosis, and that keeps some from seeking treatment. We are all capable of experiencing anxiety at least once in our lifetime. If you’re lucky, it’s only once. HA.
Interesting thought
Since Covid, there has been a very noticeable increase in anxiety symptoms in my new & current clients and I knew I wasn’t the only therapist who felt this shift.
“By 2022, U.S. National Health Interview Survey literature shows 18.2% of adults reported anxiety symptoms—up from 15.6% in 2019.”
Now what do I do?
“Great Maggie, thanks for informing me I’m anxious, now how do I fix it?” Yeah I’ve heard that line a time or two. And I always answer it with more questions.
I’m a firm believer of looking inward; assessing your environment, daily life, and thoughts in order to figure out where your symptoms are stemming from.
What are your biggest stressors and how do they affect you?
Have you experienced a traumatic event in your life?
Do you make time for enjoyable activities throughout the week? Make time is the key phrase here.
Do you have healthy lifestyle habits?
Do you challenge your negative/anxious thoughts or do you give in to them?
Do you hold in all of your emotions and struggle to communicate them?
And lastly… do you doom scroll to avoid your emotions? That one stings, doesn’t it?
All areas to consider. And if all roads point to home… Start therapy :)
Thanks for reading!
If you’re struggling or your symptoms persist, know that you don’t have to go through it alone. Please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for support. Help is available.
www.psychologytoday.com for a therapist directory.
