What Is Anxiety?
What is anxiety? It’s one of the most common mental health concerns, and one of the top reasons people seek anxiety therapy. It can be debilitating, overwhelming, and feel all-encompassing—sometimes to the point of interfering with everyday life. But believe it or not, anxiety symptoms are your body’s way of trying to help you. That may sound counterintuitive, especially when it hurts so much, but your body believes it’s protecting you from a danger that isn’t actually there.
The Body’s Alarm System and Its Response to Anxiety Disorder
Our bodies are wired to detect threats and set off alarm bells to keep us safe. For someone living with an anxiety disorder or the effects of trauma, those alarm bells ring more often—and much louder. You might have severe anxiety symptoms like racing thoughts, trouble sleeping, avoidance of everyday tasks, or physical symptoms like heart palpitations. You may struggle with leaving the house, or even getting out of bed, because of the perceived threat—even when there’s no clear trigger.
Back in our cave-dwelling days, this survival response was life-saving. Today, it can hold us back and leave us stuck. That’s why many people turn to anxiety treatment to better understand and manage these responses.
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Need some help? I’m here to talk whenever you are ready. Get in touch and let’s see how I can help you. Start with a free 15-minute consulation over the phone.
The 4 F’s: Types of Anxiety Responses
When thinking about types of anxiety, it’s helpful to look at the 4 F’s: Fight, Flight, Freeze, and Fawn. These are our body’s automatic survival reactions, driven by the amygdala—a part of the brain that responds to threat. Sometimes, these responses are referred to as an “amygdala attack,” and they’re a major factor behind what causes anxiety attacks.
What the 4 F’s Can Look Like
- Fight: Trying to confront the perceived danger. This might look like yelling, throwing things, self-harming, or showing physical aggression.
- Flight: Wanting to escape the danger. You might leave situations abruptly, hide away, ignore texts or calls, or feel like you need to crawl out of your own skin.
- Freeze: Feeling physically or emotionally stuck. You might shut down, feel numb, go quiet when someone crosses a boundary, or stay in uncomfortable situations too long.
- Fawn: Sometimes called the collapse response—similar to playing dead. This could look like “bed rotting,” isolating, dissociating, or even becoming unresponsive.
Each of these is a survival mechanism, and understanding them is a key part of effective therapy for anxiety.
What Causes Anxiety?
Anxiety doesn’t have one single root, it’s more like a web of contributing factors that can build up over time. Sometimes the cause is clear, like a traumatic experience or major life change. Other times, it’s more subtle or buried in your body’s history.
Some common causes of anxiety include:
- Chronic stress, whether from work, relationships, finances, or health.
- Childhood trauma or attachment issues that shape how your nervous system responds to the world.
- Genetics, especially if anxiety disorders run in your family.
- Brain chemistry – imbalances in neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine can make anxiety more likely.
- Medical issues such as thyroid problems, chronic illness, or substance use.
- Lifestyle factors, like sleep deprivation, poor diet, or caffeine overuse, can amplify anxiety symptoms without you even realizing it.
The cause isn’t always obvious, and that’s okay. In therapy, we work together to gently explore what your anxiety is tied to, because understanding the “why” often opens the door to healing.
How to Tell if You Have Anxiety? Common Anxiety Symptoms
Anxiety shows up differently for everyone, but there are some common signs to look out for, especially if they’re interfering with daily life or relationships. These symptoms can range from mild and nagging to completely overwhelming. Some examples of anxiety symptoms include:
- Persistent worry or overthinking
- Difficulty concentrating or feeling “foggy”
- Irritability or restlessness
- Physical tension: tight jaw, clenched fists, stiff shoulders
- Trouble sleeping or waking up feeling tired
- Nausea, or frequent bathroom trips
- Panic attacks or sudden waves of fear
- Avoidance of people, tasks, or places that feel “too much”
According to Harvard Health, physical symptoms like racing heart, muscle tension, and gastrointestinal distress are also quite common and very real components of anxiety. You don’t need to check every box to “qualify” for anxiety treatment. If your inner world feels heavy, exhausting, or stuck in overdrive, that’s enough reason to reach out for help.
Talking to Your Anxiety
Whether you’re in anxiety therapy or just beginning to explore your own experience, learning to listen to your body’s signals is a powerful step in healing. You might even try talking to your anxiety – yes, really. Ask: what is it trying to tell me? Can I remind it that I’m safe? That I don’t need to react with one of the 4 F’s?
Sometimes I even thank my anxiety. I know that might sound strange because it’s easy to hate it, but I remind myself that it’s just trying to protect me. I gently let it know that while I appreciate the effort, it’s not needed right now.
Understanding and acknowledging your responses is a core part of anxiety treatment, and working with a trusted therapist can help you manage and reduce symptoms over time.
Talk to a licensed professional
Need some help? I’m here to talk whenever you are ready. Get in touch and let’s see how I can help you. Start with a free 15-minute consulation over the phone.