Anxiety
Anxiety can be incredibly difficult to deal with. It is often referred to as "the silent struggle" or "an invisible illness" because it can be deeply distressing yet not outwardly visible to others.
Anxiety doesn’t always present as panic - often it just feels like you’re not yourself.
It’s easy to picture anxiety as something obvious: a racing heart, sweating, panic attacks that come out of nowhere. These intense symptoms can be clear indicators of anxiety, but anxiety can also be quiet. Slower. Harder to spot - especially in yourself.
You might be meeting all your responsibilities, staying productive, getting praise at work and admiration from others but inside you may feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and like you are always failing in some way – leaving you swimming in a sea of worry and dread.
It might manifest as constant overthinking, intrusive thoughts that interrupt your day, or an inability to concentrate no matter how hard you try. You may have trouble sleeping and you are always feeling restless or on edge, like you're waiting for something bad to happen - even when you can’t say what.
It can mean pulling away from people or things you used to love because you have lost your confidence to do things you once did with ease. You might feel overwhelmed by small decisions, or like your brain won’t stop buzzing - a loop of “what ifs” and worst-case scenarios that won’t quiet down.
It can feel like exhaustion without reason. Numbness instead of nervousness. A constant sense that you’re not quite you.
All this can change
Over the past 15 years, I’ve helped many clients overcome anxiety, and one of the most striking patterns I’ve consistently observed is this:
Once anxiety has been present for a prolonged period, it becomes increasingly difficult to recognise it. It's easy to think that the symptoms are either related to another cause or that they are just "who we are"!
Taking a step back and looking at how anxiety presents with a fresh perspective can help to gain insight and clarity.
If you'd like some help with exploring whether anxiety might be at the root of your difficulties, download this free guide.
