How Do I Know If I Have Anxiety? Understanding What You’re Really Feeling

The word “anxiety” gets thrown around a lot, and it’s not uncommon to wonder, “Do I have anxiety?”  That question can be surprisingly complicated because anxiety shows up differently for everyone and in different degrees.

Sometimes “anxiety” refers to a temporary emotional state, like that pit-in-your-stomach feeling before a presentation. Other times, it refers to a more persistent pattern of how someone experiences the world. To complicate things even more, anxiety can show up physically, emotionally, in a thought based way, in how we behave, or all of the above.

For one person, anxiety can show up as racing thoughts and overthinking. For another, it’s headaches, nausea, or muscle tension. Some people shut down completely and find themselves zoning out or doom-scrolling for hours. For some it’s a constant state of having their plate full and always thinking about the next thing they need to do. This wide range of symptoms can leave people confused about whether or not they “have anxiety”.

Anxiety Is a Normal Human Emotion… But It Exists on a Spectrum

At its core, anxiety is a state of anticipation, unease, or heightened alertness in response to a threat. Anxiety is an important emotion for human survival and feeling anxious when something genuinely threatening is happening, such as a hurricane approaching or an impending life change is both normal and appropriate.

However, anxiety doesn’t always come from clear and external threats. For some people, anxiety is internalized and exists as a response to trauma or a difficult childhood. For others, chronic stress snowballs into a more persistent state of worry and strain. 

Think of anxiety as a spectrum:

• On one end are occasional, temporary and appropriate anxious feelings that come and go as responses to stress or uncertainty.

• On the other end are anxiety disorders like Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder, or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which involves persistent patterns of thinking and behaving that make life more difficult.

  
  

Many people reading this post will fall somewhere in the middle of this spectrum. They find they have a tendency towards worrying, overthinking, or perfectionism but can still get on with life. We usually refer to this as high functioning anxiety.

Common Signs of Anxiety: Beyond Just “Worry”

Anxiety doesn’t always feel like fear or panic. It can creep into your life in subtle ways or disguise itself as physical illness, perfectionism, or irritability. Here are some different ways people experience anxiety:

Physical Symptoms

• Rapid heartbeat

• Shallow breathing

• Muscle tension

• Digestive issues (nausea, diarrhea, stomachaches)

• Headaches

• Chest pressure or tightness

• Feeling hot or flushed

• Trouble sleeping

Emotional Symptoms

• A sense of dread or panic

• Feeling overwhelmed

• Irritability or edginess

• Emotional numbness or shutdown

Cognitive Symptoms

• Racing thoughts

• Overthinking or second-guessing everything

• Brain fog or trouble concentrating

• Worst-case-scenario thinking

Behavioral Symptoms

• Avoiding situations that trigger discomfort

• Over-planning or excessive preparation

• Perfectionism

• Trying to control unpredictable aspects of life

• Doom-scrolling or dissociating to escape feelings

So…Do I Have Anxiety?

If you’re asking the question then it’s worth exploring. You don’t have to check every box or suffer a panic attack to have “real” anxiety. Whether you’re dealing with a few manageable symptoms or a constant sense of unease, your experience matters.

A therapist can help you identify where you fall on the anxiety spectrum, understand your patterns and triggers, and help you develop tools to manage it. No matter how anxiety shows up for you, there are ways to feel more in control.