When Should You Seek Help for Anxiety?

When Should You Seek Help for Anxiety?

Feeling fear is a normal part of life. It’s your body’s way of reacting when something happens that makes you feel scared or uneasy. The fear response primes your body’s systems to fight, flee or freeze.

But what happens when there’s no current danger? When feelings of fear and dread aren’t related to a specific current or realistically imminent threat, it’s anxiety.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 4% of the global population currently has an anxiety disorder, but the number of people dealing with anxiety is likely much larger, as many are never formally diagnosed. Knowing how to recognize anxiety symptoms can help you better understand what’s happening in your brain and body and when to seek help for anxiety.

What Are the Signs of Anxiety?

Anxiety triggers vary widely from person to person, but the symptoms are more generalized. The main symptom of anxiety is strong feelings of fear, dread or worry. The feelings can be related to either a specific event, such as worry that your child might drown, or be more generalized.

Because anxiety activates your fight-or-flight response, it increases stress, which can affect almost every area of your body. Potential signs of anxiety include:

  • Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, diarrhea or excess gas
  • Increased frequency of urination
  • Feeling dizzy or having vertigo
  • Heart palpitations or feeling like your heartbeat is more forceful than normal
  • Shaking
  • Sweating or feeling like your body’s temperature regulation is off
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Having racing thoughts
  • Feeling tense, restless or on edge
  • Having difficulty with thinking, remembering or making decisions

It’s always a good idea to talk to your health care provider about any physical symptoms you experience, as many can also have other underlying causes. However, if there’s no specific medical reason for your symptoms, it’s possible anxiety is the culprit.

It’s important to note that symptoms related to anxiety aren’t all “just in your head.” They can be very real physical sensations created by your body as it reacts to the messages your brain receives signaling danger.

Signs That Anxiety Is Interfering With Daily Life

Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time, and worrying about the future or the possibility of a negative event happening doesn’t mean you have an anxiety disorder. However, if anxiety is impacting your day-to-day functioning, relationships or quality of life, it may be time to seek professional help. Some signs that anxiety is interfering with your life include:

  • Decreased performance at work
  • Forgetting about meetings or appointments or not being able to attend these obligations due to fear
  • Isolating yourself from friends and family
  • Not being able to participate in activities you used to enjoy
  • Experiencing physical symptoms that make it more difficult to go about your daily routine, such as not being able to leave the house because you’re afraid there may not be a bathroom available
  • Feelings of hopelessness or being out of control

If any of the above apply to you or you feel like anxiety is holding you back from the life you want to live, it’s time to seek help. Another sign is if your friends or family members have expressed concern about your well-being.

Understanding When Self-Help Isn’t Enough

While it’s true there are steps you can take on your own to help with anxiety — such as journaling, identifying triggers and prioritizing a healthy diet, exercise and sleep — there are times when this isn’t enough. If you’re doing everything you can and aren’t seeing a significant decrease in symptoms, it’s time to talk to a professional.

Anxiety presents differently for every person, so the right combination of treatments is also different for each individual. A mental health professional can talk with you about your anxiety and help you determine which types of therapy may work best. In some cases, they may also recommend medications — sometimes, just for the short term — to help get symptoms under control so other therapeutic treatments can be more effective.

Common treatment approaches for anxiety include:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT involves recognizing and changing your thought patterns in the face of anxiety triggers. It focuses on replacing anxious thoughts with more neutral or even positive ones and sitting with feelings of anxiety instead of avoiding them.
  • Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Dialectical behavior therapy centers on acceptance of what is and increasing distress tolerance so you can mindfully change your reactions and behaviors when confronted with an anxiety trigger.
  • Exposure therapy. This type of therapy exposes you to what you fear in small doses to help you build tolerance and learn to overcome anxiety. It’s most commonly used when treating phobias.
  • Interpersonal therapy. With this therapeutic approach, the provider talks with you about your relationships and how they may be affecting your anxiety symptoms and vice versa. The goal is to improve those relationships and, therefore, your anxiety.
  • Medications. Antidepressants and antianxiety medications are commonly used to treat anxiety disorders.

Treatment for anxiety can often involve some trial and error, especially when it comes to finding the right medication if your health care provider recommends this route. It’s important not to give up because the first treatment doesn’t seem to work. Overcoming anxiety can take several months. Talk to your provider about your goals and progress so they can adjust their approach as needed.

When to Seek Help for Anxiety: Steps to Finding the Right Treatment

Knowing when to seek help for anxiety isn’t always easy, but if your quality of life is impacted or your loved ones are concerned about your well-being, reaching out is the first step toward better mental health. At Restore Mental Health, our trained team members are here to support you as you overcome anxiety. Contact us today to get more information about our programs and how we can help you break free from anxiety.