Anxiety: Signs, Symptoms, Causes, and When to Consider Therapy
Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. Feeling nervous before an important event, worrying about a loved one, or feeling stressed about an upcoming change can be a normal part of life.
But when anxiety becomes persistent, difficult to control, or starts interfering with your everyday life, it may be a sign that additional support could be helpful.
At Better Minds Counselling, we provide anxiety therapy in London, Ontario, for individuals who are struggling with excessive worry, overthinking, panic, avoidance, and other anxiety-related concerns.
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is your body's natural response to stress or a perceived threat. It is part of the nervous system's way of preparing you to respond to something that feels challenging or unsafe.
In some situations, anxiety can be helpful. It may encourage you to prepare for an exam, pay attention while driving, or think carefully about an important decision.
The problem is when your anxiety response becomes too frequent, too intense, or continues even when there is no immediate danger.
For some people, anxiety may feel like constant worrying. For others, it may show up through physical symptoms, panic attacks, difficulty sleeping, or avoiding situations that make them uncomfortable.
What Does Anxiety Feel Like?
Anxiety can affect your thoughts, emotions, body, and behaviour.
Emotional and mental symptoms
You may experience:
Constant worrying
Racing thoughts
Overthinking
Difficulty concentrating
Feeling restless or on edge
Irritability
Fear that something bad will happen
Difficulty relaxing
Frequently imagining worst-case scenarios
Difficulty tolerating uncertainty
Physical symptoms
Anxiety can also cause physical sensations, including:
Racing or pounding heart
Muscle tension
Shaking or trembling
Sweating
Rapid breathing
Feeling short of breath
Stomach discomfort
Headaches
Fatigue
Difficulty sleeping
Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
These physical symptoms can sometimes make anxiety feel even more frightening. For example, someone who notices their heart racing may become concerned that something is seriously wrong, which can increase their anxiety further.
Why Do We Experience Anxiety?
There isn't one single cause of anxiety.
Anxiety can develop through a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Stressful life experiences, ongoing pressure, significant changes, trauma, relationship difficulties, work or school stress, and other factors can all contribute.
Sometimes, anxiety develops without an obvious trigger.
It is also possible for anxiety to become a learned pattern. If avoiding a situation temporarily makes you feel better, you may become more likely to avoid it again in the future. Over time, this can make the original fear feel even more difficult to manage.
When Does Anxiety Become a Problem?
Not every experience of anxiety requires therapy.
However, it may be worth considering professional support if anxiety is regularly interfering with your life.
You might notice that you:
Spend a significant amount of time worrying
Have difficulty controlling your thoughts
Avoid activities, places, or situations because of anxiety
Have frequent panic attacks
Struggle to sleep because of worry
Feel constantly overwhelmed or on edge
Have difficulty concentrating at work or school
Seek frequent reassurance from others
Have difficulty making decisions because you are worried about making the wrong choice
Feel that anxiety is affecting your relationships
Have stopped doing things you enjoy because of fear or worry
You don't need to wait until anxiety becomes severe before seeking help.
Therapy can also be useful when you simply feel that anxiety is making life harder than it needs to be.
Common Types of Anxiety
Anxiety can take many forms. Some common anxiety-related concerns include:
Generalized Anxiety
Generalized anxiety involves excessive and persistent worry about multiple areas of life, such as work, finances, health, family, relationships, or everyday responsibilities.
People experiencing generalized anxiety may feel as though their mind is constantly looking for the next problem to solve.
Social Anxiety
Social anxiety involves significant fear or worry about being judged, embarrassed, rejected, or negatively evaluated by others.
This may make social situations, conversations, meetings, presentations, dating, or other interactions feel overwhelming.
Panic Attacks
A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear or discomfort that can involve symptoms such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, chest discomfort, or a feeling of losing control.
After experiencing a panic attack, some people begin avoiding situations where they fear another attack could occur.
Specific Phobias
A specific phobia involves an intense fear of a particular object or situation, such as flying, heights, needles, animals, or enclosed spaces.
The fear can sometimes lead people to significantly change their routines to avoid the trigger.
How Can Therapy Help With Anxiety?
Anxiety therapy isn't about eliminating every anxious thought or making sure you never feel nervous again.
Instead, therapy can help you understand your anxiety and develop healthier ways of responding to it.
Your therapist may help you:
Identify patterns that contribute to anxiety
Understand your triggers
Recognize unhelpful thinking patterns
Develop strategies for managing anxious thoughts
Reduce avoidance behaviours
Learn techniques for managing physical symptoms of anxiety
Develop greater tolerance for uncertainty
Build confidence in your ability to cope with difficult situations
Improve your relationships and communication
Develop healthier ways of managing stress
Different therapeutic approaches may be appropriate depending on the type of anxiety you're experiencing. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), for example, can help people understand the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours and develop more helpful patterns.
Your therapist can work with you to determine which approach best fits your individual needs and goals.
What Can You Do When You're Feeling Anxious?
While therapy can provide more individualized support, there are also strategies that may help you manage anxiety in the moment.
Consider:
Slow your breathing.When you're anxious, your breathing may become faster or shallower. Slowing your breathing can help signal to your body that you are safe.
Notice what you're thinking.Rather than automatically accepting every anxious thought as fact, try noticing the thought and asking yourself whether there is another possible perspective.
Focus on what you can control.Anxiety often focuses on uncertainty and future possibilities. Bringing your attention back to what you can actually influence can help reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Avoid constantly seeking reassurance.Reassurance can provide temporary relief but may sometimes reinforce the cycle of anxiety. Learning to tolerate uncertainty can be an important part of managing anxiety.
Stay connected to your routine.Sleep, movement, nutrition, social connection, and regular routines can all play a role in supporting your overall well-being.
If anxiety continues to interfere with your life despite your efforts, speaking with a therapist may be a helpful next step.
Anxiety Therapy in London, Ontario
You don't have to manage anxiety on your own.
At Better Minds Counselling, our therapists provide anxiety therapy in London, Ontario, for adults, teens, and families experiencing anxiety and related concerns.
We take an individualized approach to therapy, recognizing that anxiety can look different for everyone. Depending on your needs, therapy may incorporate approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and other evidence-informed therapeutic strategies.
The goal isn't simply to help you feel less anxious in the moment. Therapy can help you better understand your anxiety, develop practical coping skills, and build confidence in your ability to handle life's challenges.
If anxiety is interfering with your relationships, work, sleep, or everyday life, therapy may be a good place to start.
Looking for an anxiety therapist in London, Ontario? Contact Better Minds Counselling to learn more or book an appointment.
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