7 Signs It's Time to Get Help for Your Anxiety

Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. You might worry about things like: 

• Your health

• A loved one

• Money

• Work or school

Most of the time, these feelings are temporary and don’t interrupt your life. But some people’s worries are chronic and take over their life. When anxiety reaches this point, it might be time to get help.

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Signs it’s time to get help for your anxiety

The signs and symptoms of anxiety are physical, emotional, and mental. If you’re experiencing any of the following, it could be a sign that it’s time to talk to a professional.

1. Often worrying about worst-case scenarios

Most people feel anxious when navigating a challenging situation. For example, you might get nervous before giving a presentation at work. But if you have severe anxiety, you often expect the worst to happen. This could lead you to believe the presentation will be a complete failure without having any real evidence for that outcome. 

Living with severe anxiety can cause this type of negative thinking to be a pattern in your life. 

2. Always being on the lookout for danger

As humans, it’s natural to want to feel safe. That’s why we do things like look both ways before we cross the street. But anxiety disorders or a history of trauma can cause people to believe that they’re always in harm's way. 

This experience is often referred to as hypervigilance. It causes people to be on the lookout for danger even when they can make a reasonable assumption of safety.

3. Feeling irritable or restless all the time

Everyone feels irritable or restless sometimes. But anxiety can cause you to worry more and leave you often feeling "on edge." 

Being frequently restless or irritable can also make you lose your temper easily. You might become impatient with yourself and others and have difficulty getting adequate rest. 

4. Experiencing physical discomfort

Living with severe anxiety can also affect your physical health on a regular basis. For example, when you get nervous, you might notice:

• Sweaty palms

• Racing heartbeat

• Shortness of breath

• Headaches

• Digestive issues

• Nausea

These are normal bodily sensations that occur in times of stress. But living with severe anxiety can cause you to have these symptoms frequently. Over time, this can negatively impact your ability to live your life. 

5. Trouble falling and staying asleep

You can probably recall a restless night’s sleep on the eve of a major life event. But if you live with anxiety, you might have trouble falling and staying asleep all the time. 

This can add up to a sleep deficit that can take a major toll on your physical and mental health. A lack of sleep can also make coping with stressors in life more challenging. 

6. Difficulty going to work or school

If your anxiety is preventing you from going to work, school, or participating in other activities, it’s often a sign you may need help. Severe anxiety can make it difficult to leave the house to attend work. It can also make you too nervous to interact with other people, so you may avoid going to class.

7. Trouble keeping up with daily life

Another sign it may be time to get help is if your anxiety makes it difficult to complete daily tasks. When you’re consumed with anxiety, you may have trouble:

• Showering regularly

• Keeping up with household cleaning

• Shopping for groceries

• Driving

• Leaving the house at all

• Keeping up with friends and loved ones

What factors cause anxiety?

Research shows that there are a variety of genetic, environmental, and general factors that might make it more like likely that you’ll struggle with anxiety, including:

• Having a first-degree relative who lives with severe anxiety

• Growing up in a chaotic or unsafe environment

• Being a very shy child who was frequently nervous in new situations

• Living with health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or diabetes

• Using substances like caffeine or certain medications

At what point is anxiety considered a problem?

Anxiety is considered a problem when it becomes unmanageable, seems overwhelming, or comes up unexpectedly. In other words, problematic anxiety interrupts your ability to live your life or attend to your responsibilities in a significant way. 

But how do you know if you’re experiencing a temporary bout of intense worry or something more significant?

Imagine you’re a person who doesn’t like flying on planes. You get nervous about things like takeoff and turbulence before any upcoming flight. But since your job requires occasional travel, you cannot avoid flying altogether. So you’ve figured out how to make the experience more bearable, and you’re able to travel for work when you need to. 

Now imagine your fear of flying is so great that you’re unable to get on a plane without experiencing serious physical and emotional anxiety symptoms. You might even have some of them at the mere thought of flying or if a person you care about is flying. 

This level of anxiety may keep you from being able to travel for your job and greatly affect your mental health. In this case, the severity of your symptoms could indicate an anxiety disorder that requires professional help to overcome.

What are the treatment options for coping with anxiety?

Anxiety is treated using therapy, medication, or a combination of both. 

One of the most common therapies for anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy. This research-backed therapy can help you learn to think and respond differently to challenging situations and negative thoughts. 

In addition, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has shown to be effective in treating anxiety. ACT focuses on techniques like mindfulness and goal setting to treat anxiety.

Many people who struggle with anxiety find relief by combining therapy with medication. While medications cannot cure anxiety, they can help alleviate distressing symptoms.

Some of the most common medications used to treat anxiety include antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications like:

• Escitalopram (Lexapro)

• Paroxetine (Paxil)

• Venlafaxine extended-release (Effexor XR)

• Fluoxetine (Prozac)

• Sertraline (Zoloft)

• Citalopram (Celexa)

• Fluvoxamine (Luvox)

• Duloxetine (Cymbalta)

• Alprazolam (Xanax)

• Clonazepam (Klonopin)

• Lorazepam (Ativan)

These medications require a prescription. Talk to your healthcare provider to see which one might be right for you.

How to find help for anxiety

If you’re looking for help for anxiety, start by talking to your existing healthcare or mental health providers to see if they can make a referral. If you have a trusted friend or family member who is receiving help for anxiety, you can consider talking to them about their treatment experience. 

You can also search for individual or group support for anxiety online. To find a mental health professional who’s right for you, use a digital directory to narrow your search by location, specialty, accepted insurance, and treatment specialty. 

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Liz Talago, MEd

Liz Talago, MEd, is a mental health content writer and strategist whose work is infused with clinical expertise, behavioral science, and empathic storytelling. After spending years on the front lines of mental health care, Liz now partners with mission-driven organizations across the globe to create digital tools and experiences that enhance well-being.

Edited by:

Renée Fabian, MA

Renée Fabian is the senior pet health editor at GoodRx. She’s worked for nearly 10 years as a journalist and editor across a wide range of health and well-being topics.

Reviewed by:

India B. Gomez, PhD

India B. Gomez, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with a certificate in Latin American Family Therapy. She completed her doctoral education at the California School of Professional Psychology/Alliant International University.

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