Nervousness vs. anxiety: how you know when it’s time to start anxiety therapy in Encinitas, CA.

Nervousness vs Anxiety

You may have heard or even used both of these terms interchangeably. Both are rooted in feelings of worry, typically including the experience of spiraling thoughts, and sometimes accompanied by physical discomfort (sweating, upset stomach, feeling shaky, etc). But, feeling nervousness and anxiety are two different experiences.

While you might feel nervousness at various points in your day (for example preparing for a presentation, expressing your feelings or asking for something), anxiety is characterized by excessive worry and fear. Anxiety can affect your daily life and your ability to work or maintain relationships.

You know you are struggling with anxiety when you begin to struggle with:

• Intense feelings of apprehension that are difficult to manage
• Feeling restless or antsy
• Tiring easily
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling as though your mind is going blank
• Irritability
• Muscle tension
• Trouble falling asleep and/or staying asleep

Different kinds of anxiety

There are different kinds of anxiety that you might be struggling with. The most common is generalized anxiety disorder, which is typically when you have uncontrollable worrying thoughts. You might find yourself worrying about small or big things. It consumes your thoughts and your ability to problem solve or rationalize can become severely compromised. You might also experience panic attacks, characterized by intense physical reactions, such as a pounding heart or palpitations, sweating, shakiness, difficulty breathing, chest pain, abdominal issues, dizziness, and tingling sensations. You might experience social anxiety when you feel extreme fear or anxiety in social situations. Specific phobias might also be experienced and this results in intense, fearful responses to certain situations or objects. Separation anxiety may also be experienced (usually in children) when anticipating or experiencing separation from home or significant others.

At the core of all of these different forms of anxiety, is intense worry. Worry is what happens when our minds dwell on negative thoughts, dreaded outcomes, or uncertainty about the future. It tends to be repetitive and quickly spirals into outlandish and fearful concerns.

Worry is not all bad though. It can help us to plan ahead, problem solve or take preventative actions. The problem however, is when it doesn’t stop there. The problem is when worry continues on, somewhat obsessively at times. It feels unrelenting in the pressure it creates and when you become stuck in a worry-loop, it feels like it is impossible to break free.

Anxiety is very treatable and very manageable

Characteristically, anxiety may feel as though it is difficult to manage and is something you struggle with consistently and persistently – even to the extent to which it significantly interferes with your daily life.

It is however very common – and develops in people of all ages.

It is also very treatable. Talk-therapy can be very effective in helping you manage the symptoms of anxiety. Once you are able to recognize how anxiety is showing up for you, the easier it becomes to regulate it, so that it no longer overwhelms you. Therapy can help you recognize how your anxiety might be impacting you along with effective strategies you can begin developing to curb the worry.

If you have noticed yourself experiencing more than just nervousness and feel you might be struggling with anxiety, then it may be time to start therapy and reclaim your peace of mind!

Begin Therapy for Anxiety in Encinitas, CA

You do not need to struggle through your anxiety by yourself. Our Encinitas, CA clinic has caring therapistswho specialize in anxiety. To start your counseling journey, follow these steps:

1. Contact Headway Therapy.
2. Meet with one of our expert therapists.
3. Start feeling better.

Other Counseling Services at Headway Therapy

Therapy for anxiety is not the only service we offer in our Encinitas therapy group. Other mental health services at Headway Therapy include marriage counseling, treatment for depression and mood, therapy for teens, therapy for children, counseling and support for infertility, and therapy for pregnant and postpartum families. We look forward to connecting with you!