3 Signs You Might Be Struggling With Anxiety

Anxiety can be debilitating, and its symptoms are not always simple. The image you may have in your head of a person with anxiety may not align with what you experience or how you see yourself. Many people with anxiety are self-assured in many aspects of their lives while simultaneously struggling behind the scenes. If you've been having difficulties emotionally, psychologically, or even physically, don't rule out anxiety. Here are some key signs to consider:

1. You have physical symptoms like aching muscles, digestive issues, shortness of breath, chronic exhaustion, headaches, or chest pain.
   • Stress on the body caused by anxiety often manifests in physical symptoms. While digestive trouble, soreness, and headaches are somewhat nebulous, anxiety can be the culprit more often than you may think. And, according to Harvard Health, untreated chronic anxiety can actually contribute to chronic heart, gastrointestinal, or respiratory conditions. Of course, this isn't meant to scare you; rather, it's meant to validate that anxiety is a serious health concern and not merely "all in your head."Note: Please consult your health care provider about any physical symptoms that are causing you particular concern. Anxiety is one potential cause, but it is certainly not the only one.
   • Anxiety disorders can also cause or exacerbate insomnia. When you're chronically exhausted, it becomes even harder to function with anxiety. This creates a cycle where you cannot sleep well because you are anxious, and then the exhaustion caused by lack of sleep worsens your anxiety on a daily basis.

2. You have been struggling in work, school, and/or your personal relationships.
   
   • Anxiety makes it difficult for a person to concentrate. When you're constantly wracked with cyclical, worrisome thoughts or a general feeling of imminent dread, it can be almost impossible to focus on class assignments, a big work project, or answering emails in a timely manner.
   • Making and keeping plans with friends may become difficult or impossible, which can lead to feelings of isolation. Similarly, you may have a hard time opening up to your significant other and/or immediate family, which can cause tension in those relationships.
   • You may also want to drown out your anxious thoughts with distractions like video games, TV, or mindless phone-scrolling. These distractions, while seemingly effective in the short-term, shrink your worldview and actually make symptoms worse over time.
3. You tend to catastrophize or think in worst-case scenarios.
   
   
   • Your boss criticizes you in an email and you instantly think you're going to be fired even though your performance is generally excellent. You get two questions wrong on an exam and you're sure you flunked the whole thing even though you're a great student. Your significant other doesn't answer their phone and you panic that they've gotten in a car wreck on their lunch break. These are just a few examples of catastrophic thinking, a touchstone symptom of many anxiety disorders.

If this list resonates with you, don't worry—we can help. Contact us for an appointment to work on anxiety management. We look forward to hearing from you.