5 Signs You Might Have Anxiety
Anxiety – we hear a lot about it, but what is it to begin with, and is anxiety therapy right for you?
It is important to remember that anxiety is a normal and healthy response to threats. Think about our ancestors! When humans were living in the hunter-gatherer era, we lived amongst animals who saw us as prey. If you encountered one of these animals, what would you do? My guess is one of three things: fight, flight, or freeze. This is a normal response to threat.
However, anxiety becomes a problem when it occurs too often, interferes with your functioning, or when it arises at times where significant threat is not present. Think, when someone you like hasn’t texted you back for a few hours and you can’t sleep all night because you’re worrying about it!
Now, this is not to say that a “significant threat” is required for you to justify feeling anxious about something. It is normal to feel nervous from time to time, especially when you have a lot going on! For example, if you have a job interview, an important meeting with your boss, or a major final exam, it is likely that you will feel somewhat nervous or on edge. However, if these feelings are contributing significantly to missing work/school, an inability to take care of your basic needs (grooming, adequate nutrition, sleeping, etc.) on a regular basis, or inhibiting your ability to maintain social relationships in the way you have before – you may be experiencing anxiety.
Five Signs You Might Have Anxiety:
You often experience pounding or a racing heart rate.
You feel like you’re losing control.
You experience more irritability than normal.
You are constantly worried about something. This may look like constantly thinking about the same thing over and over or playing back scenarios of things that have happened throughout the day.
You have been avoiding certain activities or places.
It is important to know that there are many other signs and symptoms of anxiety and that there are several types of anxiety disorders. These include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, agoraphobia, separation anxiety disorder, and selective mutism. Experiencing one or two symptoms of an anxiety disorder does not mean that you are experiencing a psychological disorder. This is why it might be important to seek out professional support to help you determine what is going on.
I think I might have anxiety…What should I do?
First, it might be important to ask yourself what makes you think you have anxiety. Has this happened before? What did you do then? Does anxiety run in your family?
After you have done some reflection, you may be inclined to seek some professional support with the symptoms you are experiencing. At Rebound Total Health, our team offers anxiety therapy both in person from our office in Dundas, Ontario, and virtual therapy across Ontario. We offer a free 15-minute consultation to ensure you feel comfortable with your therapist before you get started – you can click here to book in! You may also consider seeing your family doctor, who can perform an anxiety assessment and ensure you are not experiencing a medical condition that has similar symptoms to anxiety.
You may be wondering what treatment options are available for anxiety. There are several evidence-based therapies that have been shown to help individuals reduce symptoms and/or cope with their anxiety, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and exposure therapy. There are also several classes of medications that are used to treat anxiety disorders. You may consider speaking to your family doctor or psychiatrist about what options may be available to you, if medication is something you are considering.
When you’re ready, Rebound Total Health offers anxiety therapy. We can help you bounce back – get started today!
