Do I Have Anxiety or Am I Just Stressed? How To Tell If You Have Anxiety

I must confess that never in my life had I come across the thought that I may be suffering from anxiety. I never knew what anxiety truly meant until recently.

Our current times have brought a lot of uncertainty for many of us. Not only has a pandemic changed our lives, but our daily stresses also play a vital role in our mental health.

Let’s begin by understanding what anxiety is.

Anxiety is a feeling of fear, worry, and uneasiness. It might make you nervous, tense, and even sweaty. Anxiety can cause feelings of restlessness and disturbing thoughts. It may even cause your heart to beat faster. These are all normal reactions to stresses or any unexpected situations that may arise in your life. Sometimes anxiety can play a positive role and motivate a person with a temporary boost of energy and even help with focus. But for those with an anxiety disorder, it becomes more hurtful than helpful.

Everyone feels anxious now and then. We must understand that feeling anxiety is a normal part of human emotions. But holding on to that anxiety prolongs problems. There are several types of anxiety disorders, and they are all similar but somewhat different.

If you suffer from excessive unrealistic worry and tension for no reason, then you might be experiencing a generalized anxiety disorder. But if you go into panic mode and suddenly start breaking out a sweat, feeling chest pains, and have a pounding heartbeat, this may be caused by a panic anxiety disorder.

Social anxiety disorder is also a thing. It is when you feel overwhelmed and self-conscious about everyday social interactions. This disorder may bring up obsessive worry about others judging you or being ridiculed.

If you have a specific phobia, this can also bring up feelings of anxiety. For instance, a person afraid of heights can feel immense worry and fear when being on a high floor of a building. This experience brings up anxiety responses, making them want to avoid similar situations in the future. Then there is also the feeling of being scared in places or circumstances where you might find it hard to escape, feeling enclosed; For example, in an airplane or bus. This type of anxiety is called agoraphobia.

Many young kids often suffer from separation anxiety. The reality is that although many youngsters end up getting over this feeling eventually, a lot of us grow up without healing this aspect of our childhood. Anyone can get separation anxiety disorder, and if you do, you’ll feel anxious or stressed when a person you’re attached to leaves your sight. It may cause you to suffer from negative thoughts about something happening to this particular person.

Another common type of social anxiety is when a person, especially young kids, talks comfortably with their families but not when out in public. These people tend to feel comfortable in their homes but freeze when being around or approached by strangers. This is called selective mutism. The use of medications or drugs can also trigger medication-induced anxiety disorder, causing a person to feel negative feelings of stress and all characteristics related to an anxiety disorder.

Now, just because you read this and may identify with one of several anxiety symptoms, it does not mean you have an anxiety DISORDER. Like I said before, and I will mention it again, anxiety is a normal part of human emotion that could be beneficial in some situations if you know how to handle yourself. But if this is something that is constantly causing you to feel stressed in your life and interfering with your everyday tasks, then maybe you should look for help.

Help not always comes in the form of medication or pills. Help can mean seeing a professional psychiatrist, phycologist, or simply starting a daily meditation routine to do the inner work required to overcome any anxiety and stress your life may bring. Or please find and join a support group. Do not be afraid to ask or look for help!