It’s the understatement of the century to say that, “There’s plenty to worry about in today’s world.” You may even feel more like, “What is there to not worry about?” It’s likely that you occasionally feel some level of concern about your job, your marriage, your kids, the economy, your parents’ health, money, your to-do list, or any other number of things. But when does a normal level of concern become an issue that you should address with a therapist? How do you know if what you’re experiencing is a season of anxiety, an anxiety disorder, or simply a “normal” amount of worry?
First of all, if you feel like you need or want to talk with a therapist about things that weigh heavily on your mind, consider this your permission to do so. You do not have to have a diagnosed anxiety disorder to need or want to talk with someone who can help you learn about why certain things are worrying you and how best to cope with even occasional anxiety. A season of anxiety can be brought on by many different things: a new baby, a career change, uncertainty in a relationship. If you’re going through one of these situations, you may be worried and feel overwhelmed by these feelings of concern. However, there are distinct differences between occasional anxiety, or anxiety brought on by a certain season of life and anxiety disorders.
Venn diagram showing the similarities and differences between anxiety and worry.
Anxiety as a disorder does not simply go away when circumstances change. It is normal for a new situation, like starting a new job, to cause worry or concern. However, with worry, this will go away once you learn the ropes and realize you are capable. In contrast, a person with an anxiety disorder might continue to feel anxious about the job, even when they are settled and doing well. They may continue to have feelings of incompetence or dread that don’t go away no matter how well things are going in reality.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder can have impacts on your physical health while typical levels of worry do not. According to the National Institute for Mental Health, people struggling with anxiety disorders may experience muscle aches, unexplained stomach pain, difficulty sleeping, and fatigue. While these physical problems can be caused by other health problems, if you feel they’re coupled with times of anxiety, they may be more than just normal worry.
Persistent anxiety can cause you to change your behaviors. If you are struggling with anxiety, you may avoid certain situations, obsess over things that would normally not bother you, or become excessively irritable and easily angered. Anxiety impacts daily life in negative ways. These behavioral changes are a result of feeling out of control because of anxious and fearful thoughts, and they should be discussed with a counselor.
Anxious thoughts that are out of control do not “go away” simply because you know the truth. Oftentimes in conversations about their thought patterns, people struggling with anxiety will say things like, “I know that my kids are safe at school, but I can’t stop feeling like something terrible is going to happen.” Or, “I know that my wife loves me, but I feel so anxious that something will go wrong.” Even if they know reality, they often dwell on hypothetical or worst case scenario outcomes. A person struggling with anxiety may not be able to control when they slip into these thought patterns and find it difficult to focus on anything else.
It is often difficult to identify the exact reason for anxiety because it is constant rather than circumstantial. People struggling with anxiety may not be able to tell another person exactly what is making them feel anxious. Because they experience these feelings all the time, it is difficult to identify the source. This can be frustrating for the person with anxiety as well as those who care and are trying to help.
If you struggle with feelings of anxiety that don’t go away or impact your daily life as described above, you do not have to walk through that struggle alone. This is one reason why counseling can help greatly. Therapists, like those in our Rockwall and Heath offices, are trained in talk therapy strategies, as well as other methodologies that have been proven to help people with anxiety identify the root causes of the issue and learn strategies for coping with anxious thoughts, panic attacks, and other anxiety related problems. And, they are ready and willing to listen and help you.
Written by Emily Taylor, Contributing Writer