This is the paradox of general anxiety. We feel more in control when we stop to consider all the ways that things could go wrong. It makes sense (in theory). “If I can see it coming, I can prevent it from happening right? Or at least prevent myself from feeling caught off guard or surprised by it? Right?… Right?”

Wrong (unfortunately)… By spending more time considering all the ways things could go wrong, we don’t actually feel more in control. We feel more tense, more anxious, more scared of the stories we tell ourselves. But it’s a hard habit to stop on your own.

Anxiety often develops in adolescence and can be worse or better at different points over the course of your life. If you grow up in a traumatic, unpredictable, or emotionally abusive household – then anxiety starts early for you out of sheer necessity. This can lead to developing symptoms of Complex PTSD depending on just how unpleasant or unpredictable home life was for you.

If childhood was relatively smooth, but you went through some major life changes and stressors in early adulthood – your anxiety may have started then too. For example, it can often come up during transitionary periods in life such as starting college, getting married, or having children. Or perhaps (if you’re a little lucky) you haven’t struggled with anxiety for most of your life and you’ve only noticed it coming out since going through a major life change such as moving out of state, starting a new career, or getting a divorce. 

However anxiety began for you, you’ve probably noticed by now that there’s often an ebb and flow to it. It’s worse when you’re under stress and things are happening. It’s less noticeable when things are running smoothly for a minute. Or perhaps you’ve noticed you’re no longer getting those “breaks” anymore and you’ve found yourself just “waiting for the other shoe to drop” even when things are going relatively well. This is when anxiety can be particularly frustrating because it has the potential to rob you of your ability to relax and enjoy your life even when you have every reason to!

Generalized anxiety disorder can dominate three main aspects of daily life – how you think, how you feel, and what you do.

• Thinking. With anxiety, you may spend most of your time worrying about when and how badly things might go wrong – so that you can be prepared to prevent it obviously. Unfortunately, with general anxiety the worry isn’t confined to just one area of your life as it is with social anxiety, for example. Individuals with general anxiety worry about a variety of things – their relationships, their finances, their job, their performance, their health, other people’s health, their unending to-do list, and the ever present possibility of a tragic accident. 

• Feeling. Anxiety and worry causes tension. There’s no way around it. The more you tell yourself stories in your mind about how things might go wrong, the more your body is going to brace itself for those things to actually happen. It can begin to feel like you’re always waiting for something to go wrong – tensed and ready. Anxiety can cause muscle tension, stomach upset, tingling in the arms and legs, and unending feelings of restlessness. If the physical tension escalates high enough, it can also lead to experiencing panic attacks.

• Doing. Anxiety is largely a habit of worrying, preparing, and avoiding. It can make it hard to sit still, hard to relax, difficult to leave things undone or incomplete. You may spend much of your time doing things to over-prepare or prevent the catastrophes you imagine coming true. On the flip side, anxiety also give us the urge to avoid. This can  mean avoiding situations that trigger your anxiety or procrastinating and putting off tasks that make you anxious to think about. 

We can help.

If you or someone you love is struggling with anxiety, please reach out. We offer anxiety treatment with CBT Therapists in Orlando and online throughout the state of Florida. Call today or send us your info and we’ll reach out for a free consultation to see if one of our therapists would be a good fit.