What Is Anxiety, and How Do I Know If I Have It?

Anxiety is a normal human experience. It’s a built-in alarm system that helps us stay alert and respond to life’s challenges. When danger is near or pressure is high, our body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to help us act quickly. This response can be helpful when you need to meet a deadline, make an important decision, or navigate a difficult situation.

But sometimes that inner alarm keeps ringing even when there’s no real threat. When worry becomes constant, or the body stays tense long after the stressful event has passed, anxiety can begin to interfere with daily life, relationships, and overall well-being.

Understanding the Many Faces of Anxiety

Anxiety doesn’t look the same for everyone. For some, it shows up as racing thoughts or sleepless nights. For others, it might feel like shortness of breath, a tight chest, restlessness, or a sense that something bad is about to happen.

Common symptoms include:

• Persistent worry or intrusive thoughts
• Irritability or feeling “on edge”
• Difficulty concentrating or relaxing
• Physical tension, trembling, or nausea
• Avoidance of situations that trigger fear or self-doubt

If these symptoms persist for weeks or months, or begin to limit your ability to function, it may be a sign of an anxiety disorder.

The Signs of High-Functioning Anxiety

One of the most overlooked forms of anxiety is high-functioning anxiety. People with high-functioning anxiety often appear successful, organized, and calm on the outside. But inside, they may feel like they’re constantly fighting to keep everything together.

Common signs of high-functioning anxiety include:

• Perfectionism and fear of making mistakes
• Overthinking and constant self-criticism
• Feeling restless or unable to slow down, even when exhausted
• Saying “yes” to too many commitments
• A constant drive to achieve or prove worth
• Trouble relaxing or enjoying accomplishments
• Difficulty sleeping due to a racing mind
  
  

Because individuals with high-functioning anxiety often perform well professionally or socially, their distress is easily overlooked– even by themselves. They may be praised for their productivity while quietly struggling with burnout, fatigue, and inner tension.

If this resonates with you, it’s important to remember that anxiety doesn’t have to look like panic attacks or breakdowns. Sometimes it hides behind achievement, people-pleasing, or control. All subtle but exhausting patterns that can take a toll over time.

Why Anxiety Happens

Anxiety can arise from many sources: genetics, past trauma, chronic stress, or imbalances in brain chemistry and gut health. Modern life also contributes. Things like constant notifications, information overload, and the pressure to be “on” all the time can keep the nervous system in a near-constant state of alert.

At Eastside Counseling Center, we approach anxiety from an integrative perspective. We  understand that the mind, body, and environment are interconnected. Healing anxiety isn’t about simply changing thoughts; it’s about restoring balance in the entire system through nervous-system regulation, emotional awareness, and compassionate self-understanding.

Pathways to Healing

Therapy provides a safe and supportive space to explore anxiety, learn coping strategies, and develop tools for calming the body and mind. Techniques such as mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), neurofeedback, and somatic approaches help individuals recognize triggers, reframe unhelpful thinking, and cultivate peace within the body.

If you identify with the signs of high-functioning anxiety, you might also benefit from learning to rest, set boundaries, and practice self-compassion. The goal isn’t to eliminate anxiety completely. It’s to create a new relationship with it.

When you begin to listen to your anxiety as a messenger rather than a threat, healing naturally unfolds. Anxiety can become an invitation to slow down, reconnect, and nurture yourself in ways that bring greater peace and authenticity.

You Are Not Alone

If anxiety– visible or hidden– is impacting your quality of life, you don’t have to face it alone. At Eastside Counseling Center, our compassionate team specializes in helping individuals recognize the roots and signs of high-functioning anxiety, transform stress patterns, and rediscover calm, confidence, and joy.

Reach out today to begin your healing journey. Together, we can help your nervous system find its natural rhythm again. One breath, one moment, one step at a time.