Top 3 Signs Anxiety is Controlling You

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition. In today’s changing climate, there are many unknowns, shifts, and adjustments. Having some anxiety in our life is healthy. It is a normal and natural emotion. However, normal anxiety can spiral into an anxiety disorder that prevents you from living your best life. Here are the top three warning signs that anxiety is controlling your life.

1. Anxiety Makes You Feel Bad About Yourself

If thoughts of worry make it challenging to focus on solutions, you might be stuck in an anxiety cycle. Overthinking situations causes anxiety. This makes it difficult to try out solutions. The cycle repeats until the problem is too big to solve alone. It makes it challenging to work through situations. You may find yourself avoiding problems or using unhealthy coping mechanisms to escape anxiousness. When anxiety is not managed, it can lead to poor self-esteem, less confidence in abilities, and isolation from friends and family.

After long periods of staying in this cycle, anxiety often causes people to feel helpless. Because they have been suffering so long, helplessness can lead to depression.

2. You Experience Physical Signs of Anxiety that are Overwhelming

Physical symptoms of anxiety are signs that anxiety is impacting the mind and the body as well. Common physical signs include rapid heartbeat, a pit in the stomach, pressure, tension in the body, sweating, hot flushing, nausea, etc. These physical symptoms often make it challenging to work through problems; over time, this stress on the body can lead to burnout and fatigue and cause long-term stress-related health effects.

Sometimes anxiety can make us feel like we can’t stop, and we have to keep being productive to feel worthwhile.  In other cases, the flight response might be stuck on, making it difficult to relax or sit still. Sleep and digestion can also be disrupted because the body focuses on managing the anxiety response rather than on sleep or digestion. 

3. Anxiety Impacts Important Areas of Your Life

You might notice that relationships with family, friends, and significant others suffer because of your anxiety. Anxiety might impact how you react to situations, what you can do, and who you want to be around. It can prevent you from meeting new people or cause you to stay in relationships that are no longer healthy for you. Anxiety can also make you overly reliant on those around them for support, which may strain relationships.

If anxiety impacts your performance in work and school, this is another sign of it taking over your life. It can be hard to share ideas with others when struggling with anxious thoughts. It is nearly impossible to take in and learn new information with an anxious brain. This can lead to poor concentration or cause difficulty with attention at work

Anxiety is complex, and you don’t have to suffer alone. Stress can impact every aspect of your life: from your relationship with yourself to relationships with others. It can lead to thinking poorly of yourself and your abilities. It can leave you feeling stuck, confused, or overwhelmed. If you notice these signs in your life, it might be time to get support to manage anxiety. There are effective strategies and treatments can help you get back to living life on your terms.

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