When to tell my anxiety needs professional help
Hello I have been suffering from the feeling of anxiety for over a year now, sometimes it’s stronger than other times, but it’s always there, I feel that its always taking a part of my focus away from anything I’m doing and therefore I’m not able to fully enjoy it because a part of my mind is always occupied. I dont know which level of anxiety is considered normal and which level is not.
@Gregory3 I looked up the criteria for generalized anxiety disorder, and they include;
A. Excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation), occurring more days than not for at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities (such as work or school performance).
That seems to fit your situation. But there's also:
C. The anxiety and worry are associated with three (or more) of the following six symptoms (with at least some symptoms having been present for more days than not for the past 6 months);
Of the six you only mention that your mind is always occupied. The other five are restlessness, fatigue, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance. There are a lot more criteria, too, including:
D. The anxiety, worry, or physical symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
So you seem to meet at least some of the criteria for a formal diagnosis, and possibly all of them. I suppose that would indicate that professional treatment would be helpful. It's not possible to make a real diagnosis by reading stuff on the Internet, of course.
As you probably know, treatments for anxiety typically include medication, therapy, or a combination of medication and therapy. So if you do decide to seek professional help, you could approach either a doctor or a therapist first.
If you'd ever like to chat about your situation, feel free to click on my profile picture and message me.
Charlie
Hey I hear you are struggling! I too struggle with managing my anxiety! If you ever need to talk please reach out to me!