Why Come to Therapy? – 6 Signs You Should Seek Help for Anxiety
We all feel anxious and stressed sometimes. But, when those anxious feelings start to impact our lives in a negative way, it could be time to seek help.
Symptoms of anxiety are different for everyone. Some of the most common signs include things like restlessness, an increase in heart rate, or even having a sense of panic.
These symptoms can range from mild to severe. The difference between feeling anxious once in a while and actually struggling with anxiety is how often these feelings take hold.
Anxiety isn’t something that should be ignored. Especially when it starts to take over our lives in one way or another. It’s not always easy to ask for help or come to therapy. However, anxiety isn’t something that will just “go away” on its own.
Let’s take a look at a few signs we can use to recognize when it’s time to seek out help.
1. It Takes Up Too Much Time
When our worries start to interfere with different aspects of our lives, it’s time to seek help.
Whether we start to ignore relationships or forget about certain responsibilities, it’s a serious problem.
Anxiety is a time-sucker and can get in the way of the activities we really enjoy. As a result, our relationships with family, friends, and even our children can suffer.
2. It Keeps Us Stuck
Anxiety can keep us from doing the things we love. Even if we were comfortable doing them before. This could be something as simple as going to a baseball game or even traveling.
Anxiety can sometimes get so intense that we often experience anxiety attacks when these situations come up. So we start to avoid the situations altogether.
Unfortunately, that lets the anxiety win. And it won’t get better or simply fade away.
3. It Makes Us Silent
When we start to feel like we can’t even speak up because we’re too anxious or nervous, it’s time to get some help.
Anxiety is a silencer. It often makes us feel too scared to voice our opinions. Even when they matter and could be beneficial.
Relationships are frequently affected, too, when we feel like we can’t express our feelings. It’s not uncommon for this anxiety-induced muteness to affect job performance as well.
4. It Wears Us Out
Anxiety is exhausting. People who struggle with it often feel completely drained at the end of the day. Even if the day wasn’t exactly demanding.
It’s no surprise as to why. After all, consider how much time and energy is devoted to worrying and stressing about everyday situations. By the time we climb into bed each night, our minds have been running on overdrive all day.
This negative pattern can eventually lead to extreme fatigue, illness, and an unhealthy lifestyle.
5. It Causes Us to Panic
One of the more severe symptoms of anxiety is panic. Some people even experience panic attacks.
The symptoms of a panic attack are different for everyone, but they often include:
- Rapid breathing
- Increased heart rate
- Sweating
- Chest pains
- Nauseau
- Dizziness
Panic attacks can become so severe that medical attention is sometimes required. Many people who experience them choose not to participate in many activities or even leave the house because they’re afraid of experiencing an attack in public.
6. It Lasts a Long Time
Again, it’s important to remember that everyone feels anxious once in a while. When these feelings don’t go away or they are prominent over a few days, it’s usually a sign of something more.
People are genuinely pretty good at being able to tell when something is “off.” When we don’t feel like ourselves, we know it before anyone else. So, don’t be afraid to seek out help when that happens.
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None of us is an island in the battle against anxiety. It can be hard to admit when we’re struggling. But, relating to any of the signs in this article might mean it’s time to get some help.
Anxiety can be crippling, but support can help to lessen its impact.
With different, unique therapeutic techniques, we can work together to calm feelings of anxiousness and make life feel a little less overwhelming.