How do I know if I have anxiety?
A common confusion in therapy is that of anxiety. It is very common for clients to deny having anxiety until they learn about the symptoms and they realize how much it is similar to what they are going through. Despite clients not being able to define the diagnosis, what it feels like for them is still understood.
Here are some common symptoms that my clients often experience with their anxiety:
Trouble concentrating
Thoughts and/or worries that fill their mind which adds to their trouble concentrating
Feeling irritable or agitation
Difficulty falling asleep
Sweating or shaking
Feeling too hot or too cold
Having stomach aches or discomforts, and/or nauseous feelings
Racing heart often accompanied with difficulty breathing
Forgetfulness
If you experience any of the physical symptoms of anxiety, it is best to check in with your primary care doctor first. We want to rule out that there is no physical health diagnoses that are contributing to the symptoms. After a health diagnosis has been ruled out, then anxiety may be to blame.
After a diagnosis of anxiety has been ruled in, we will then in therapy learn to understand our anxiety more. We would work on understanding what triggers for your anxiety. This would include any possible places you experience anxiety, times of day, people that may trigger, or specific events.
There are many different types of anxiety. You will often see people get diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder which is an overall feeling of anxiety symptoms that is felt for most days over at least 6 months of time. There are panic disorders, social anxiety, separation anxiety, and even anxiety due to trauma experiences, ADHD, Autism, or other disorders.
There are ways to help treat your anxiety. You may want to speak to your doctor about medications to help with symptoms. Whether you take medication or not really depends on you and your needs. If your anxiety feels almost debilitating and unmanageable, medication could be a good option for you. Seeing a therapist would also be a good option. Your therapist would then help you in helping you alleviate your anxiety symptoms. A therapist will help you understand your body and the physical symptoms are of anxiety to help you identify it before it gets worse. Your therapist can help you with learning and practicing coping skills to you know what to do during an anxiety attack and assist you with identifying ways to practice the skills outside of the session before they are needed. Your therapist may use Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help with identifying and challenging negative thoughts and any behaviors related to your thoughts. You can obtain Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy to help with identifying that root cause of anxiety and helping to process those unhelpful experiences. Your therapist could help you identify and develop a healthier daily routine for yourself including a more helpful sleep schedule, relationship with food and nutrition, and getting some movement and exercise into your routine that can help with preventing and/or lessening anxiety symptoms.
Anxiety does not feel good and it may prevent you from fully enjoying the activities you love. You don’t have to let it control you. Working with a therapist can help you learn how to control your anxiety.
