What Does Anxiety Really Look Like

Anxiety gets a lot of attention these days, and for good reason. The National Institute of Mental Health NIMH has found that 19.1% of US adults experience an anxiety disorder each year. What makes this statistic staggering is the fact that this only accounts for those that are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. In order to have been included in this number you would have needed to go see a provider, complete an assessment, be diagnosed AND answer a survey. What I am alluding to is the fact that in reality this number is likely much, much higher. 

Anxiety: Underreported and Undiagnosed

So why is anxiety so prevalent and why does it go undiagnosed? These are commonly asked questions and they can be rather loaded. Life is full of obligations and stressors, all of which can be anxiety provoking. In our culture many wear their overwhelm like a badge of honor rather than seeing it for the warning sign that it is. You can only feel overwhelmed for so long before you become burned out. 

Anxiety can present differently in different people as well. You may feel anxious and on edge often, but if you’ve felt this way for a very long time it may seem like just a regular day to you. Sometimes we feel bad for so long that we don’t even realize we feel bad anymore. 

When anxiety is your constant companion you may not recognize it as something problematic that can be changed. All of this can lead to anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders going untreated and undiagnosed. 

What Does Anxiety Look Like

If you look up “anxiety symptoms” online you will get a list of symptoms that are required to make a diagnosis. This can be helpful and it can also be unhelpful. The vast majority of us aren’t mental health clinicians and reading a list like that can seem like a lot of psychobabble. This can further lead to symptoms being ignored and conditions going untreated. 

Anxiety can look like: 

• Feeling irritable all the time
• Wanting to yell at everyone
• Feeling like you can’t sit down or relax when you want to
• Feeling like the world is on your shoulders
• Racing thoughts that seem non-stop
• Difficulty falling asleep
• Waking up throughout the night
• Feeling exhausted all the time
• Shaking when you have to complete certain tasks
• Having stomach upset when you know you haven’t eaten anything out of the ordinary (without medical explanation)
• Wanting to avoid things
• Worrying constantly
• Having unexplained muscle pains and tension
• Difficulty breathing (without medical explanation)
• Racing heart (without medical explanation)
• Being quick to anger
• Not being able to focus or feeling distracted most of the time
• Finding yourself assuming the worst the majority of the time

This list is not meant to be exhaustive, rather to get your wheels turning. If you are feeling worried, anxious or on edge most of the time you certainly aren’t alone. 

What to Do About Anxiety

Anxiety isn’t something you can simply grin and bear. If you ignore it, it won’t go away. In fact it is more likely that it will grow and get worse. Anxiety may not improve on its own, but it is treatable. 

There are many things you can do to reduce anxiety which can include mindfulness practices, self-care, exercise, engaging in hobbies etc. There are many lifestyle changes you can make to improve the way you feel and decrease anxiety. 

Therapy can be effective in treating anxiety as well, especially when you find a therapist that is the right fit for you. Evidence-based approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) have been shown to work well in decreasing and even eliminating anxiety symptoms. 

Many find relief with a proper medication management plan tailored to their needs. Medication management is often sought when anxiety symptoms are frequent and intense. When this happens symptoms can impact your ability to use other skills that can be helpful. Due to this many incorporate medications in their comprehensive treatment plan rather than simply taking medications alone.   

It can be hard to recognize anxiety. It can be hard to avoid your anxiety. Choose your hard, my fellow humans. And don’t forget, therapy can help. 

Carolina Counseling Services contracts with a number of skilled, licensed therapists and prescribers. Check out our website to learn more: www.carolinacounselingservices.com 

Jaime Johnson Fitzpatrick LCMHCS, LCAS is one of the Owners and Vice Presidents of Carolina Counseling Services. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist in the State of North Carolina as well as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in State of New York. Jaime is also certified in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and utilizes various other approaches in her practice.