Do I have anxiety?

It’s normal to feel anxious when things change or during a big life event. For example, before an important test, a job interview, or going to college. Or even telling someone how you feel.

But you may be wondering if your worrying has reached the point of having an anxiety disorder.

In life when we experience anxiety, we may feel tense, stressed, and under pressure. Especially when it comes to certain situations in life. Usually when that particular event or situation passes, our anxiety goes away. But for people with an anxiety condition, their anxiety is usually present most days. And stressful life events, social situations, and triggers only make the anxiety feel more intense.

What does anxiety feel like?

Anxiety is exhausting. Any time I feel like I have to complete a task, it feels like climbing up a steep staircase of never-ending thoughts, worries, and doubts.

Anxiety can interfere with school, work, and our relationships. For example, you might find it difficult to connect with others like friends or loved ones because your anxiety makes you worry that they might not actually like you. Or that you are afraid that you are going to do something to ruin the relationship. Having anxiety can make it difficult to complete everyday tasks. Constant thoughts can also make it hard to focus on what you are trying to accomplish and delay both long-term and short-term goals.

Anxiety can cause both physical and mental symptoms. These experiences may include:

• Feeling restless and irritable
• Having trouble focusing or concentrating
• Experiencing muscle pain, tenseness, tightness, or soreness
• Experiencing stomachaches or digestive problems
• Having panic attacks
• Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
• Feeling exhausted even after having a full night’s sleep
• Going out of your way to avoid situations that make you anxious
• Intrusive thoughts (unwanted thoughts or worries that won’t go away)
• Ruminating (finding yourself in a spiral thinking the same thoughts over and over)

The list above includes some, but not all symptoms of anxiety. If you think your experiences are signs of anxiety, take our anxiety test. Though this is not an official diagnosis, it can help affirm your experiences.

Could it be something else?

Anxiety conditions share many symptoms with other mental health conditions. Like depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis, ADHD, and others.  Also, many people living with anxiety have co-occurring conditions. It’s common for some people with anxiety to also be diagnosed with depression.

Here are some examples of experiences of other mental health conditions that are similar to anxiety:

• Trouble focusing is also a common experience of people with ADHD.
• People who live with depression or bipolar disorder also experience intrusive thoughts.
• Fatigue, exhaustion, and irritability are also common symptoms of depression.
• Having racing thoughts could be a symptom of ADHD, bipolar disorder, or psychosis.

I think I have anxiety, what should I do now?

Learning you may have an anxiety disorder can be both scary and validating. It can help you understand yourself, your habits, and your patterns more. It can also make you feel worried about what life will look like going forward.

No matter how you feel, there are things that you can do to better understand what it means to live with an anxiety disorder.

Here are some steps you can take.

Learn and reflect on your experiences

Taking time to learn more about different types of anxiety conditions can help. This may look like reading articles or listening to others’ stories. Also, think about your thinking patterns. Do you tend to spiral? Worry? Or overthink? Has your anxiety affected different parts of your life like your relationships with yourself and others or school or work? Journaling or writing down your experiences can help as you notice patterns. And it could help start a conversation with a loved one or mental health professional.

There is so much information about anxiety online. You can research different articles, studies, lived experiences, and support groups. Remember to be careful when researching and only use reliable sources.

Consider adding mindfulness and grounding to your daily life

My friends could see me getting [anxious] and try to help. But it’s hard to break out of that pattern…I had to learn how to take a second, to take a breath, and get re-centered on reality.

For many people with anxiety, it’s hard to get out of their own heads. Taking a moment to pause and be present in the moment can help with anxiety symptoms like racing thoughts and overthinking. You can try practicing mindfulness, deep breathing, or grounding yourself in reality.  This could look like taking your focus off your thoughts and just focusing on your breath. Or try meditation and other grounding strategies that help you stay present.

Talk to someone

Sometimes when I have what I call “anxiety thoughts,” I give them to someone else. I tell them what I am thinking and they often help me see if the thought is valid or just a result of my anxiety. That person usually eases my worries and talks me through it. I feel so much better just knowing I can talk to someone about what’s going on in my head.

That someone does not have to be a therapist, but it can be. You can talk to a friend, loved one, or any one who you trust and is supportive. Because when we live with anxiety, we often live in our own heads.  Talking to someone can help us gain an outside perspective. You can also join a support group. Or join groups on social media like Facebook or Reddit to find others who have anxiety.

Talk to a mental health professional

Whenever you are ready, you can talk to a mental health professional like a therapist or psychiatrist about your anxiety. They can offer information about coping skills, grounding yourself, medication, and more. This can help treat your anxiety.