We all experience anxiety. Actually, a certain amount of anxiety is necessary for us to live.
It was placed there in the first place to warn us about possible fear or dangers around us. But since we no longer need to worry to about hunting for our food and possibly getting eaten by wild animals, our fears and dangers have drastically changed. We now fear about things such as being disliked, judged, others criticism, and our own shame/insecurities.
Children, teens and adults suffer from anxiety but when it’s too much anxiety it can scare the life out of you – literally, you feel like you’re dying. Knowing the difference as to what is “normal” anxiety vs. “too much” anxiety is beneficial to determine when to seek professional help.
“Normal” Anxiety
When your anxiety is “normal” it gives you the extra push for that presentation, exam, or maybe even asking someone out on a date. It reminds you that you are alive and have nerves to overcome those challenges. It is a sensation in your stomach, sometimes in your throat and let’s face it, most time in your armpits (not cool, anxiety, not cool!)
However, when experiencing this “normal” type of anxiety you have control. You control your thoughts, your emotions, and your perception to the situation.
As mentioned before, a certain amount of anxiety is necessary and actually great as it can help motivate you to complete tasks.
Too Much Anxiety
Experiencing too much anxiety depends on a couple of factors:
- Frequency/Duration of Anxiety: If your anxiety is happening frequently for longer periods of times or more often than usual without any possible triggers.
- Strength of Anxiety: If your anxiety is causing you to feel as if you are avoiding things/people on purpose or you are possibly dying due to high heart rate and stomach pain, then the strength of anxiety is probably high.
- Negative Thinking: If you’re constantly in your head and thinking worst-case scenario and can’t seem to get out of the so-called rabbit hole.
- Physical Symptoms: If you are experiencing rapid heart, chest pain, sweating, and stomach pain all at the same time.
- Drastic Change in Appetite: If your anxiety is either making you lose weight or gain too quickly without having any medical issues.
- Difficulty Reducing Symptoms: If you have tried multiple attempts to reduce the anxious feelings and have talked to all of your friends/family about it but nothing helps.
When you have too much anxiety it can lead to disorders other anxiety disroder. Some of those disorders are “generalized anxiety disorder,” “social anxiety,” and “obsessive compulsive disorder.” However, at Bloom Sooner we prefer to drop the labels and work on reducing the symptoms and increasing your strengths! If you are a teenage girl or women in Miami-Dade and believe you are struggling with too much anxiety, please contact your Bloom Sooner today!
All material on this website are designed for educational and informational purpose only. This website does not constitute medical advice or professional services. It is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for medical advice. If you are in need of a mental health professional please seek a Licensed clinician. If you or your child is experiencing any mental health or physical crisis, contact 911.