What is anxiety?
Anxiety is the feeling of intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. A person can experience a fast heart rate, rapid breathing, and sweating followed by a tired feeling.
Doesn’t everyone feel this way? Yes, they do. Everyone is capable of experiencing this feeling. It is a normal human emotion. So what’s the big deal? Why is this something to worry about if everyone feels this?Well, sometimes that feeling lasts. For a while. The diagnostic criteria is extensive and you can read all that here. Only a qualified health professional or psychiatrist can make this diagnosis and provide medication. When this feeling is occurring more days than not and it goes on for more than 6 months, about varying types of events or activity, it’s time to talk to your doctor.
I don’t think I need meds yet
You may not need a diagnosis right now or medication. Not everyone does. However, even if you are not to the point of needing an anxiety disorder diagnosis, anxiety can still play a huge part in daily life. It can impair work, friendships, intimate relationships and other important areas in life.
It’s not just about a diagnosis. Since we all have these feelings, it’s good to understand them and how we experience them in both the mind and the body.
Anxiety in the body
Anxiety is not just in the mind. It can be experienced in the body. It can look like the following:
- Being easily fatigued
- Muscles tight and tense or tension headaches
- Sleep disturbance (difficulty falling or staying asleep, or restless unsatisfying sleep)
Anxiety in the mind
What does anxiety look like as a state of mind? It can include:
- Irritability
- Restlessness or feeling keyed up or on edge
- Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
Get help with anxiety through talk therapy or counseling
With all these symptoms listed, you may be wondering what to do about them. A great place to begin is through talk therapy or with a counselor. Talking through things with a mental health professional and getting support in this way can prevent anxiety from progressing into more dangerous anxiety behaviors.
The professionals at Abide Counseling are currently taking new clients and are ready to talk with you about anxiety triggering events in your life. Give us a call and set up an appointment today.
Further Reading:
Do you want to learn more about managing anxiety? Here are some anxiety tips therapists swear by.
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