Why am I feeling so anxious?
Updated: August 2024
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and can be helpful as it protects us in some situations. It can alert us to dangers and help us prepare and pay attention.
What Do I Feel Anxious?
Anxiety is a normal emotion that increases alertness, dread, uneasiness or fear. You may also experience physical symptoms such as an increase in your heart rate, sweating or tenseness.
Anxiety and Anxiousness
Anxiety and Anxiousness are often used in the same way but there are differences.
Anxiety: Exists on a spectrum and can range from mild symptoms to ongoing, persistent disorders that significantly impact day-to-day activities. It is often a long-term condition, where the feelings of worry, fear, or dread are chronic and can arise without a specific trigger.
Anxiousness or feeling anxious: Typically occurs in response to a specific event, such as an upcoming exam or a job interview, or a particular period in your life, such as a significant life change like graduation or becoming a parent or a time of uncertainty. This feeling is usually temporary and tends to subside once the situation is resolved or the event has passed.
This differentiation helps in understanding that while everyone experiences anxiousness at times, anxiety as a disorder is more pervasive and can be more challenging to manage.
Signs of Anxiety
Signs of anxiety can manifest in various ways, both physically and emotionally. Here are some common signs to look out for:
Physical Signs of Anxiety:
Increased Heart Rate
Sweating
Trembling or Shaking in the hands, legs, or voice
Shortness of Breath
Muscle Tension or stiffness, often in the neck, shoulders, or back.
Headaches: Tension headaches or migraines triggered by stress and anxiety.
Dizziness or Lightheadedness
Gastrointestinal Issues: Stomachaches, nausea, or digestive problems like diarrhea or constipation.
Fatigue or insomnia
Emotional Signs of Anxiety:
Excessive Worry
Restlessness or feeling unable to relax
Irritability
Difficulty Concentrating
Avoiding situations, people, or places that trigger anxiety
Feeling Overwhelmed
Negative Thinking
These signs can vary in intensity and frequency, and while experiencing one or more of them occasionally is normal, frequent or severe symptoms may indicate an anxiety disorder that could benefit from professional support.
How Are Anxiety Disorders Different from Normal Feelings of Anxiousness?
Anxiety disorders and their challenges can differ from normal feelings of nervousness or anxiousness and involve excessive fear or anxiety. This becomes problematic when it starts to impact our everyday life- for example begins to interrupt your sleep, and affects your appetite, relationships, and joy in life.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Some of the most common anxiety disorders include:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Characterized by excessive, uncontrollable worry about various aspects of daily life, such as health, work, or relationships. This worry is often disproportionate to the actual situation and persists for six months or more.
Panic Disorder: Involves recurrent, unexpected panic attacks—sudden episodes of intense fear or discomfort that reach a peak within minutes. Symptoms can include heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, and a sense of impending doom.
Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia): A fear of social situations where one might be judged, embarrassed, or humiliated. This can lead to avoidance of social interactions, which can severely impact daily functioning and relationships.
Specific Phobias: Intense, irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity (e.g., heights, flying, spiders). The fear is usually out of proportion to the actual danger posed and can lead to avoidance behaviors.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Characterized by unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) performed in response to these thoughts. The compulsions are often aimed at reducing anxiety or preventing a feared event, even though they may not be logically connected.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Occurs after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event. PTSD can lead to avoidance of situations or stimuli that remind the person of the trauma.
Separation Anxiety Disorder: Excessive fear or anxiety about being separated from those to whom the individual is attached, often seen in children but can also occur in adults. The anxiety is beyond what is appropriate for the person’s developmental level.
Each of these disorders can vary in intensity and impact on daily life, and they often require different treatment approaches.
What Should I Do if I Regularly Feel Anxious?
If you regularly have an anxious feeling, it is at this stage where we would encourage some interventions such as counselling, group therapy, and in some cases medication. An anxiety counsellor can help you to manage these emotions, develop coping strategies, and improve your overall well-being.
You can also use these tips for managing your anxiety. Having strategies in place that you can turn to can often help you to feel more in control and reduce your anxiousness.
Find Help When You Have an Anxious Feeling
Anxiety does not dissipate on its own, help is needed and we are here to support you. Book With an Anxiety Counsellor in Abbotsford, Chilliwack or Online Supporting the Fraser Valley and BC
View profiles of our counsellors online and book if there is someone you’d like to work with. We have therapists who support individuals that are stuggling with anxiety or feelings of anxiousness and therapists that offer lower-cost counselling services. We can also match you with a counsellor in Abbotsford or Chiliwack or online from the Fraser Valley or British Columbia.
