What does anxiety feel like?
Everyone has felt anxiety. But what exactly is it, and when is it something to, well, be anxious about?
Anxiety is a feeling of dread, fear and uneasiness, according to the National Library of Medicine. Physical symptoms can include sweating, feeling tense or restless, having an upset stomach and having a rapid heartbeat.
Sometimes, anxiety is just a situational issue: Maybe you're about to make a life-changing decision or you're dealing with an issue at work. But for others, anxiety is an ongoing disorder that causes excessive worry, and isn't just prompted by stressful situations.
If you or a loved one is dealing with anxiety, this is everything mental health experts want you to know about the issue and how to deal with it.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety manifests differently in different people, as previously mentioned, and can lead to a chronic mental health condition.
"Anxiety shows up as having the inability to control worries and having worries that are disproportionate to the stressor," psychiatrist Dr. Judith Joseph tells Paste BN. "Instead, they overextend, overwork and stay busy because on a deeper level, they believe that work will somehow solve their anxiety or staying busy will distract them. Initially this works but over time they may burn out, develop generalized anxiety where the worries overwhelm and (cripple) them or cope by abusing substances or engaging in unhealthy activities."
What to do when feeling anxious?
For those diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, that disorder won't go away permanently, experts say. But there are many tools that can be used to keep symptoms at bay.
"It’s important to realize that these are conditions to manage," Dr. Joseph says. "Doing daily preventative practices to prevent worsening of anxiety is important."
Medical professionals may suggest the following tactics to work to curb anxiety:
- Therapy: Different types of counseling or psychotherapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy and motivational therapy, may work for different people. The key, Joseph says, is using the appointments to address underlying issues, including unprocessed trauma and poor coping skills.
- Medication: Medications usually prescribed for anxiety disorders, according to NYU Langone Health, include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Lexapro and Prozac, benzodiazepines including Xanax and Klonopin, beta blockers including metoprolol and atypical antidepressants, including bupropion and mirtazapine.
- Lifestyle modifications: Getting enough sleep, working on stress management techniques, eating a balanced diet and, as previously mentioned, exercising, have all been shown to lessen anxiety symptoms. "Sleep hygiene is important because many of these individuals work late and are on devices late," Joseph says. "They have a hard time calming their minds down and doom scroll."
- Asking for help: "Strengthening social connections and seeking support from friends, family or support groups is important," Joseph says. Venting to a loved one, therapist, journal or faith leader can help, too.
- Being honest with yourself: "Acknowledge how you feel and accept your emotions," Joseph says. "Many people push through the day without acknowledging how they feel. They work through lunch when they are hungry, they smile when they are sad and they mask how they are really feeling. If you can’t acknowledge and name how you feel, then how can you do anything about it?"