Do I Even Have Anxiety?

Short answer to your question: yes. Anxiety is an emotion that may manifest as feeling tense, worrying, or experiencing physical changes such as increased blood pressure or excessive sweating, and we all have experienced a range of emotions whether we think we have or haven’t. 

Truth is, anxiety is universal, but it can look differently in me and you. Some might find themselves to be anxious thinkers, constantly thinking about all of the things all of the time. Some might be so anxious that they don’t think of anything at all. There are specific terms for these two types of anxiety but it’s more important to know how you get anxious, especially when you are trying to deal with it. 

So Do I Have Anxiety Or Not? 

There are times when you don’t even know if you’re anxious. Talking to a licensed professional can help weed out the weeds so to speak. So let’s go over some general tips to know if you’re even anxious: 

1. You’re feeling restless: Many times anxious people experience restlessness as if they always feel like they are on the go. You can feel like you are always thinking about something and there’s a slight panic or shakiness to your thoughts. What if this happens, did I do that thing I said I would? Why can’t this change, will this person do this or that? Maybe even when you try to take a break from doing a task you feel guilty that you are taking a break and you’re thinking about things you need to do. 
2. You might find yourself easily fatigued: You get a good full night's sleep, you know you slept well, but you can’t help but feel tired when you wake up. Or by 11:00am you feel like you need a nap. 
3. You can’t concentrate: When doing a task you feel as if your mind is on something else or you find it hard to focus for long periods of time. Sometimes you might even feel like you just drift into a nothingness state of mind and “zone out”. 

Okay, So What Do I Do? 

Are any of those things above something you’ve experienced? If it’s yes, congratulations, you’ve experienced anxiety. The good news is that IT IS OKAY. Everyone feels anxious at some point of their lives and especially today. We live in a very anxious-prone world. The good news is you are not alone. Especially in the therapy room. 

Does Therapy Even Help Anxiety?

You might be wondering if you even need to go to therapy for your anxiety and that is a great question. I think of it like this: If you feel like your arm is broken, do you wait to see if it’s broken and in months hope it goes away, or do you go to a doctor to get an X-Ray? So why don’t we do the same thing with our brains? This is not to say that your brain is broken, but if you go to a professional for your body, why not your mind, too? Therapy is a great way to sit in a non-judgmental, completely empathetic space, to talk with a professional about your anxiety, what might be causing it, useful tips to manage your anxiety and to heal. 

I see teens, adults and families who are struggling with anxiety and other issues at Lifeologie Counseling Allen. Reach out and request an appointment with me in person or via telehealth, or call our office at (214) 556-0996 to schedule a free initial consultation to see if therapy might be right for you!