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Why Do I Feel So Anxious?

There are plenty of things in life to be anxious about. But sometimes we feel overly anxious, or anxious about things that shouldn’t make us feel anxious. Sometimes, anxiety isn’t even something we are aware of. It makes our muscles tense, our stomach nauseated, and can even cause physical pain. It doesn’t make any sense. You may be asking yourself, why do I feel so anxious?

The answer is different for everyone. Sometimes there are stressful things in our lives that cause anxiety, sometimes it comes with people who drink or use drugs, certain drugs in particular. Sometimes it is our brain reacting inappropriately to things that are happening. It can also be something genetic that we were born with. The bigger question is, how can I stop feeling so anxious?

Stressful Life Events

Some adults say that this generation is weak or unprepared for life in comparison to their generation. But the internet wasn’t even developed when they were your age. They didn’t have to deal with social media or YouTube or any of those things. Your generation applies to colleges where 100,000 people apply for less than 10,000 spots, and the costs of college are five to ten times your anticipated annual salary. Their generation went to school worried that the worst thing that could happen to them was failing a test, and today’s generation worries that you might not come home at all. Your generation has stressors that their parents could not even dream about, on top of all of the normal stressors they had. 

Knowing all of that is enough to give anyone anxiety, but on top of that, there are so many other things that happen in life. Whether it be a divorce in the family or other loss, a long-term health problem, a learning disability or other difficulties in school, bullying, a body image issue, pressure to overachieve, or anything else that personally causes you to stress, your anxiety is very, very real. These events are all enough to cause anxiety. And it is not your fault.

Drug, Alcohol, or Medical Reasons

Sometimes if people have anxiety, they turn to drugs or alcohol for some relief. For example, with the legalization of marijuana in so many places, many people believe that it is calming. Some people experience relaxation or a “chill” state. However, in addition to other side effects, marijuana can actually make you feel not just anxious, but paranoid. 

The use of alcohol or other drugs also increases many risks and side effects. At the time, it might seem they offer relief for your anxiety, but in the end, they make everything worse, even the anxiety. Or, if you use drugs or alcohol for other reasons, the substance use itself can give you anxiety. 

Sometimes, however, the anxiety comes along with another medical diagnosis, too. It is not our fault, we didn’t ask for it, but now we can learn to deal with it.

When Our Brain Overreacts

A lot of times, when anxiety is genetic or is caused by chemicals in the brain, the anxiety is a result of a malfunction in the brain. Just like a glitch in software or hardware, your brain analyzes what is happening around you, and then reacts as if it is something much worse. This is what triggers the physical reactions of pain, nausea, inability to concentrate, tension, and more in your body. It is kind of like a false alarm, only your mind and your body think it is a real threat.

There is medical help for anxiety, particularly when it is severe enough to interfere with your day to day life. For example, if you are not sleeping, not able to eat normally, struggling in school or work because of your anxiety, then you should try to get some medical help. A licensed and trained doctor can look at your specific health and needs and discuss medical treatment options with you.

Learning to Overcome Anxiety

Whether you need medical help or not for your anxiety, the other part of learning to overcome anxiety is therapy. There are some specific kinds of therapy that help a lot of people in dealing with anxiety. One type is Dialectical Behavioral Therapy or DBT. Actually, it helps with a lot of things in our lives, not just anxiety. Basically, by working with a trained professional, we can learn to manage our emotions better, learn how to train our minds to react differently to stress, and learn to look at the stressors in our life differently so that we are in control, not the anxiety.

No matter why we feel so anxious, anxiety never feels good. It doesn’t feel good in our minds, it doesn’t feel good in our bodies. You know that you want to feel better all the way around. No matter what is happening all around you, you don’t have to feel like this. Now you have a chance to change your life. Not just today, but also for your future. You can call Embark Behavioral Health and learn how to say goodbye to anxiety. This program can help you to change your life. You can learn how to face anxiety head-on and then walk away from it, free from the mental and physical anguish. Make that choice today. Your future self will thank you.

Embark is the most trusted name in teen and young adult mental health treatment. We’re driven to find the help you need. If you’re looking for support, contact us today!

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Embark Behavioral Health

Embark Behavioral Health is a leading network of outpatient centers and residential programs offering premier mental health treatment for preteens, teens, and young adults. Dedicated to its big mission of reversing the trends of teen and young adult anxiety, depression, and suicide by 2028, Embark offers a robust continuum of care with different levels of service and programming; has a deep legacy of over 25 years serving youths; works with families to adjust treatment in real time to improve results; treats the entire family using an evidence-supported approach; and offers the highest levels of quality care and safety standards. For more information about Embark or its treatment programs, including virtual services, intensive outpatient programs (IOPs), therapeutic day treatment programs, also known as partial hospitalization programs (PHPs), residential treatment, and outdoor therapy, visit embarkbh.com.