Anxiety

Anxiety comes in many forms, and has different expressions. Some people with anxiety show very few outward symptoms, whereas others have symptoms that are very visible to others.

Anxiety diagnoses include, but are not limited to: General Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Phobias.

It is important to note that we do distinguish between fear and anxiety. Fear has a tangible cause, such as fear of a dangerous animal or a person who threatens your safety. Anxiety is tied to intangible threats, or implausible ones, and as a result, it can be hard to talk about the cause of the emotion, or address the root of it.

For certain groups, this distinction can be very important. For example, people with sensory processing differences can experience pain in response to sensory stimuli such as certain sounds or frequencies of light, and as a result, these people will develop a fear of situations in which they know these sensory experiences may happen. If we fail to recognize that this is a legitimate fear, rather than a treatable anxiety, we risk using methods such as exposure therapy with people for whom the treatment process will be entirely ineffective, as well as potentially traumatizing.

What does anxiety feel like?

Symptoms of anxiety can vary greatly, but include:

  • A general feeling of aversion or worry towards a specific type of situation or experience, such as being in a crowd or a small room, or for social anxiety, it could be having a conversation, or approaching someone they don’t know to ask a question.
  • Worry or rumination about a broad range of everyday situations – or possible future outcomes – is common in generalized anxiety.
  • Difficulty with concentration and decision-making. One’s thoughts may be interrupted by ruminations, or exhaustion from the anxiety may make focusing difficult. Making decisions can feel like no choice will be okay, the person may be concerned with the outcome, the judgement of others, or other factors.
  • A general sense of restlessness, tension, or potentially irritability, often connected with a feeling of unease.
  • Having a sense of impending danger or doom, or a feeling of underlying panic or worry.
  • Nausea, stomach ache, headaches, and muscle tension are common.
  • Heart palpitations
  • Sweating, trembling, or shaking may occur at seemingly random times, or it may be associated with anxiety attacks and panic attacks.
  • Trouble with sleep, for example with falling asleep, staying asleep, having frequent nightmares, or having poor quality sleep.

Note that for many people, anxiety has been a part of their reality for a very long time before it is recognized or diagnosed, and that for them, many of these symptoms reflect their sense of ‘normal’. They may not remember a life without these symptoms.

What should I do if I think I have anxiety?

If you feel that the above description, or other descriptions of anxiety, match your experience, then you may consider trying to get a formal diagnosis. You may seek therapy, get a prescription for medication, or both.

There are forms of therapy that are effective for anxiety, but not every form of therapy works for all forms of anxiety, or for all people. If one therapist does not work for you, please do seek a different therapist or type of therapy. Most often, therapists are very open to a discussion that they are not the right match, and will gladly help you in finding someone who may better suit your needs. They may refer you directly, or they may know which other forms of therapy are out there that might work better for you.

A formal diagnosis of an anxiety disorder will also give you access to medication. There are several different types of medication prescribed, depending on the type and severity of the anxiety. Remember that each person reacts differently to medication, so it may take time to find the right one for you.

Sometimes, anxiety can be fully cured through a combination of medication and therapy, but while some cases are fairly quick to resolve, others can take longer.

Other forms of anxiety may be managed such that they will not have such a detrimental impact on your life, but may not fully be cured. That is, you may still experience symptoms, but not as often or not as severe. In these cases, we highly recommend that you look into using Energy Accounting as a method to structuring your life and continuously checking up on your mental health in an effort to lessen the impact anxiety has on your life, and to prevent anxiety from returning. We also recommend it because people with anxiety can be prone to developing depression and experiencing burnout, and by using Energy Accounting, you may spot the signs early and intervene.