“Why Am I Anxious?”
Okay, you’ve heard about anxiety and have come to the conclusion you may experience anxiety, but you’re left wondering “but why am I anxious?”. This question can lead you down a rabbit hole trying to figure out why you’re anxious, and you may be left with more questions than answers. With that said, let’s discuss - why are you anxious?
There’s good news and there’s bad news - bad news is, I can’t tell you specifically why you’re feeling anxious; however, I can tell you the basics of why you’re anxious.
How Do I know I’m Anxious?
You may already know what anxiety feels like, but some may not! So if you do, go ahead and skip this section, or don’t - your choice! Anxiety can manifest in a wide variety of ways and can be unique to your experiences. Some common manifestations of anxiety include, but are not limited to:
Physical:
Increased heart rate
Sweating
Tension & feeling easily startled
Irritability & agitation
Trouble sitting still or relaxing
Nausea
Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
Fatigue/tiredness
Emotional/Mental:
Feeling afraid that something bad may happen
Difficulty concentrating
Racing thoughts
Difficulty making decisions/feeling overwhelmed
Underlying Purpose
Now that we have a better idea of what anxiety looks like, I’m sure you’re wondering why anxiety is showing up for you at all. The answer is more obvious for some than for others - it can be traced to stress, life transitions, changes to your routine, traumatic or overwhelming experiences, etc.
Many of my clients have struggled with anxiety, mainly the question of why it’s hangin’ around when the experience or trigger is no longer present. Well, that’s where the basics come in.
Like all of our emotions, anxiety has an evolutionary purpose - anxiety’s specific purpose is to detect threats in our environment. Think about it: go back in time to the caveman days, when their concerns were making sure they had food and shelter, and protecting themselves. If they’re hunting or foraging food and they come face to face with a predator, their nervous system is going to sound the alarm and initiate the ‘fight or flight’ response. Adrenaline is released and gets the body and mind prepared to fight for survival.
“What does this have to do with me?” - this same system is being initiated for you too. Something you’ve experienced or face on a daily basis is sounding the alarm, causing your body to release adrenaline and go into ‘fight or flight’, even if the threat is not objectively threatening or immediate. This can come up in social situations when you feel uncomfortable, while it could also be the fear of telling your spouse you’ll be late for dinner again, or anything in between!
I can’t help you answer the specifics to your anxiety without getting to know you, but there are some ways you can help yourself.
Photo by Kateryna Hliznitsova on Unsplash
What Can I Do?
First, in my totally *unbiased* opinion as a therapist and a mental health coach (definitely completely biased!), I’d encourage you to seek support from a professional. It’s important to consider what your goals are to determine whether coaching or therapy is better suited for you, but both can be incredibly helpful in building an understanding of your anxiety and individualized coping strategies.
Regardless of if you decide to seek mental health support, taking time to reflect can help make connections and raise awareness of what may contribute to your anxiety. Ask yourself what you’re actually experiencing - sometimes anxiety is an umbrella emotion with other, more vulnerable emotions underneath it - or what your mind or body may be afraid of.
From an emotion regulation standpoint, or if you’re not ready to sit with the emotions or experiences, I’d consider having what I’ve referenced as an Anxiety First Aid Kit. This kit can include a variety of items geared toward helping you feel comforted, safe, and appeal to your interests, like coloring books, sour candy, blanket or stuffed animal, music, etc. For more information on this, and more coping strategies, check out this blog post.
Conclusion
Anxiety can show up in a variety of ways and situations, often leaving you with the question “why am I anxious?” Without digging deep, with or without the support of a mental health professional, it can be difficult to discover the root cause; however, anxiety is built into our nervous system as a way of protecting ourselves from potential threats and is completely normal to experience! With that said, anxiety can go into overdrive and become hypervigilant when faced with stressors or triggers, especially over a long period of time or continued exposure.
As always, I’d like to be clear that this blog post is intended for educational purposes only, and is not intended to replace professional counseling or clinical advice.
You are also welcome to contact me to see if I might be able to support you as you journey forward!
~ Catherine
