How do you know when anxiety is normal or something you should seek help with?
46 Answers
Last Updated: 06/04/2018 at 6:46pm
Moderated by
Luz Cotto-Charneski, LCSW
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
As your therapist I will help guide and support your unique process of self-discovery. I will witness you reclaim your voice and find a life of fulfillment, purpose, and ease.
Top Rated Answers
Some anxiety is good and healthy in fact. It can be something to think about when it stops you from doing the things that you want to do and begins to interfere with your daily life.
Anonymous
December 22nd, 2014 8:49pm
If your anxiety is greatly interfering and impacting your daily routine, I would strongly suggest speaking with a medical professional.
It's normal when stressed for an interview , exam , interview when someone is sick it's isn't when you feel anxiety through out the day constantly for a period of 3 to 6 months you can't relax you don't feel right something's off
If this anxiety doesn't affect your life that much, it's probably not much to be concerned about. But if your fears of having an anxiety attack, includes having to avoid an object, activity or situation that triggers you, interferes with your normal functioning or keeps you from doing things you would otherwise enjoy, it's time to seek help.
When one's anxiety becomes crippling and interferes with one's life, it is then that seeking professional help should be considered.
You could try taking the Depression/Anxiety test at 7 cups and evaluate for yourself. You can also talk to one of the listeners here and come to a conclusion together.
"Normal" is such as broad term and honestly, there isn't a "normal" that you can use as a definition for anxiety. You need to ask yourself whats "normal" for you. I have anxiety, but I know what it consist of and if it ever escalates to a point where I feel uncomfortable or unable to handle it, than I know it's time to seek help. However, its NEVER too soon to ask for help. It's NEVER too early to seek guidance. It's okay to have a little bit of anxiety, or a small problem and ask for help because everything can escalate. Honestly I think if you have to question whether or not you should seek help, you already have your answer. If you're questioning it, just ask someone, seek help. I'm always available for 1 on 1.
The general consensus of mental health professionals is that you should seek help when/if your issues are interfering with your daily life. This could be anything from feeling unable to get out of bed and leave the house, to feeling distracted and being unable to get work done.
We're talking about the difference between stress and distress. Stress is a normal feeling we are hardwired to feel and often do throughout the day. It can be healthy to have some stress, it keeps us alert, cautious, focused, and determined to achieve.
But distress is when we can't handle it. When we're so overwhelmed with anxiety that it has a negative impact on our lives, we see it manifest in our relationships, our health, our work. Distress is when we've lost control, and we don't know how to get it back.
Anonymous
December 15th, 2015 10:15pm
Taking a breather away from what is causing me to feel anxious and focusing my thoughts on not what I am feeling but what I am doing.
Anonymous
February 14th, 2017 11:32pm
Anxiety is a normal part of life but there does come a point where you need to seek help. If the anxiety is causing problems day after day then you might need to seek help. If th anxiety is causing your grades/work performance to decrease, impact your social life, or make you afraid of certain situations then you might need to seek help.
Anonymous
December 22nd, 2014 4:57pm
When you're everyday life is affected by it in a negative way, that's when you know its not just a normal worry
Anonymous
December 22nd, 2014 6:42pm
if you think that you are unable to control your anxiety and you are experiencing it most of the time and its affecting you in bad ways, then one should probably seek help!
Anonymous
December 22nd, 2014 7:40pm
When anxiety is starting to affect your daily life or if in any doubt you should seek support, it is better to seek support early, but it is never too late.
there are tests for that. but if you ask yourself that question already, perhaps there's a problem indeed. if you cannot enjoy your daily routine, or even special moments in life, then seek help!
First, journal your thoughts and feelings. This will allow you to keep a timeline and a track of your anxiety. If you start to see more and more patterns of it seriously affecting your daily routine then it's time to seek help. Anxiety disorders are vastly common amongst the general population so don't feel minuscule or bad for feeling the way you do.
Anonymous
January 3rd, 2015 4:40pm
If the anxiety hinders you from functioning in society and your everyday life, then I would recomend seeking help.
When it takes over your life. When you no longer like doing things you used to, because you get anxiety from it.
Anxiety is very hard to deal with, having anxiety should make you seek help, like someone to talk to.
When it is getting in the way of daily routine, stopping you from socializing or maintaining healthy relationships
it's better to seek help however normal or severe the anxiety is.
Mental disorder is like physical wound.
The later you treat it, the worse it's gonna be.
I found that I needed to seek help with my anxiety when I started to notice an increase in panic attacks as well as the anxiety affecting my everyday life and stopping me from going to school, seeing my friends etc. Once you begin to notice that anxiety is interfering with your everyday life, it may be best to seek professional advice from your doctor or a therapist
Anxiety in greater and more frequent appearances such as when you feel anxious out of nowhere when there is no need to be is something you should get help with. Generally we feel anxious for several reasons, even for small things. However it's a normal body defense.
You should seek help when you feel like your anxiety is interferring with your life (job, relationships, hobbies, etc)
Anxiety is normal when you are anxious over something but it goes away. You should seek help with anxiety when it has an affect on your functioning. When you can't sleep, constant feeling of your heart racing, shakiness, intrusive thoughts, etc.
Anonymous
September 1st, 2015 3:27pm
For me, if I am in a situation that triggers anxiety, I try to do exercises such as, deep breathing, tapping my fingers, tapping my feet, closing my eyes, etc. It usually calms me down, but when I realized these exercises didn't help and I was frequently feeling anxiety, I sought professional help. When it interfered with my daily functioning and thought processes, that is when I knew I needed help.
If it causes dysfunction and interferes with day to day life. Or if they are a danger to themselves or society
Anonymous
December 26th, 2015 6:28pm
If your anxiety impacts your everyday life and relationships. Or you seem less motivated to work and bogged down and tired. Consider seeking help. It isn't a permanent situation.remeber that. Take care :)
Anonymous
December 27th, 2015 8:42am
If it interferes with your life then you should seek help
Anonymous
January 12th, 2016 4:59pm
The moment I knew that that horrible feeling in my stomach was something I needed to address was when I noticed it controlling my decisions and life. I would choose certain options to avoid social situations until I was spending all my time alone with my anxiety surrounding me.
Related Questions: How do you know when anxiety is normal or something you should seek help with?
How can I overcome anxiety if I can't talk to a therapist or my own doctor?How do I get over feeling that everyone is going to leave me?Everything in my life is messed up. Motivation works temporarily and I'm not suicidal but feel it's pointless to live like this. What should I do to feel hopeful? How can I get what I need from my doctor? I feel extremely sick whenever I leave my house, what can I do? I have trouble with my school work due to procrastinating. And my anxiety always gets in the way. How do I get things done?A family member thinks I am lying about where I am going but I'm not, what should I do?How do I know if I did the right thing?Is it hard to think critically about something you love?How do I overcome the fear of cashiers?