Veronica Guerrero-Quan, M.S., LPA-Independent Practice
Have you ever wondered if your experience of anxiety is within the normal range? At what point is the chest pain, racing thoughts, overthinking, sleep difficulties, or feeling on edge too significant? Is this just part of the human experience? Is your experience “too much”?
What is anxiety?
Let’s start by defining anxiety. Anxiety can feel very similar to fear, although they are not entirely the same. Fear is what we experience when we perceive ACTUAL threat, while anxiety is what we experience when we perceive POTENTIAL threat. Fear is about “what is,” while anxiety is about “what if.”
For example, we might experience anxiety thinking about the possibility of a bear encounter days prior to a hike. On the other hand, we would likely experience fear when we come face-to-face with a bear on a hike!
Sometimes anxiety manifests physically. Some examples include:
- Muscle tension
- Restlessness
- Fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Sleep disturbance
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Sweating
- Accelerated heartrate
- Nausea
This list is not exhaustive, but these are examples of how the body can respond to perceived threat.
Is my anxiety too much?
A lot of the therapy clients I have journeyed with come to me because of reaching a “breaking point.” Reaching the point of no longer wanting to continue with their anxiety struggle. Usually, there is a gap between the life they wish they had and their current distressing experience of life.
Whenever I dive into learning my therapy clients’ stories, I find that many of them have experienced notable anxiety symptoms months, years, or even a couple of decades earlier. Sometimes they try therapy out sooner and other times, clients are coming to therapy for the FIRST time when they see me.
What strikes me the most is that many times these lovely souls endure so much of their anxiety before the “breaking point” simply because it’s what is familiar and normal to them. Can I tell you something? ANY amount of anxiety that robs you of opportunities, relationships, jobs, or anything you wish you had is TOO MUCH anxiety.
YOU DESERVE A BETTER LIFE!
I don’t believe anxiety is a “bad emotion.” I think it is a necessary emotion that can be protective and helpful at times. However, more times than not, I find that people struggle with anxiety taking the driver’s seat of their lives—instead of their own values!
Let me ask you something: If anxiety were not an obstacle in your life, what would be different? How fulfilling would your life be? What would change? How would you act differently?
Envision this for a moment here. Take about a minute envisioning this for yourself. Set a timer and really entertain this.
Once you’re back to reading, ask yourself: how badly do I want that envisioned life? If you are indifferent and satisfied with your life as it is, we can conclude that the anxiety for you is not “too much” and you can go about your life.
However, if you find yourself hungry for a different experience of life, my friend… anxiety may be robbing you of too much. You deserve a better life. You only get one.
Seek therapy from a therapist specializing in anxiety. Seeking help does not make you weak. It does quite the opposite. It will make you stronger. You can grow into the person anxiety thought you could never be.
Veronica Guerrero-Quan, LPA-Independent Practice