Anxiety

Anxiety

Anxiety is a natural part of being human — it’s your body and brain’s way of keeping you alert, prepared, and safe. But when anxiety becomes excessive, persistent, or disconnected from real danger, it can start to interfere with your well-being, relationships, and quality of life.

Anxiety Exists on a Spectrum

Anxiety isn’t all-or-nothing. It exists on a spectrum, from mild situational worry to intense, chronic distress. At healthy levels, anxiety can motivate you to prepare for a presentation, respond to a deadline, or avoid real danger. It becomes a concern when it feels disproportionate, uncontrollable, or constant — even when nothing is objectively wrong.

How Anxiety Shows Up

Anxiety can affect both the mind and the body. You might experience:

• Mental symptoms: racing thoughts, rumination, constant worry, difficulty concentrating, catastrophizing

• Physical symptoms: muscle tension, restlessness, fatigue, stomach discomfort, chest tightness, shortness of breath

• Behavioral symptoms: avoidance of situations, procrastination, irritability, sleep disruption

This mind-body connection is key: anxiety often activates your nervous system’s stress response, even when there’s no actual threat. Understanding how your thoughts, sensations, and environment interact is a powerful part of healing.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

When anxiety becomes persistent and impacts functioning, it may fall under one of the following diagnoses:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Persistent worry about multiple areas of life

• Panic Disorder: Sudden, intense episodes of fear or discomfort (panic attacks)

• Social Anxiety Disorder: Fear of social situations or judgment from others

• Specific Phobias: Extreme fear of particular objects or situations

• Separation Anxiety Disorder: Often seen in childhood, but can affect adults

• Related conditions like PTSD and OCD also involve anxiety, though they are categorized separately

What Causes Anxiety?

Anxiety is shaped by many factors, including:

• Family history and genetics

• Nervous system sensitivity or reactivity

• Trauma or early life experiences

• Chronic stress, burnout, or unmet emotional needs

• Cultural, systemic, or environmental stressors

It’s not a character flaw — it’s often your body’s way of trying to protect you, even when that protection is no longer needed.

How Therapy Can Help

Therapy helps you untangle anxiety’s root causes, build awareness, and learn how to regulate your mind and body more effectively. Treatment may involve:

• Developing coping tools and self-regulation strategies

• Exploring and shifting unhelpful thought patterns

• Understanding nervous system responses and how to work with them

• Healing from trauma, perfectionism, or chronic self-doubt

• Strengthening boundaries and supportive relationships

With support, you can build a relationship with your anxiety that’s grounded, manageable, and no longer in control of your life.