Anxiety is the most prevalent mental health disorder in the United States, and though it responds well to proven treatment strategies like talk therapy, many people with this condition never seek help and suffer in silence for years.
Feeling worried and fearful all the time can take a severe toll on your well-being, especially when you can’t pinpoint a specific reason for your anxiety to flare up. If you don’t know where your anxiety is coming from, you might have a hard time explaining why you feel so nervous and can’t seem to relax. You may also start limiting activities that make you uncomfortable, which can detract from your quality of life.
What Causes Anxiety?
Anxiety usually has a complex combination of causes, including genetics and environmental factors. From an evolutionary perspective, anxiety is your brain’s way of preparing you to react quickly in times of danger. While this response helped your ancestors evade risks, you’re unlikely to encounter many life-threatening situations in the modern world. However, your nervous system doesn’t know this, so you can go on high alert even when that reaction is out of all proportion to the circumstances.
Many people living with anxiety aren’t consciously aware of all their triggers, which is why you might think you’re anxious for no reason. Several different factors might be contributing to your tense, panicky feelings without you even realizing it. Additionally, if you experience confusion and dissociation as anxiety symptoms, it could be even trickier for you to identify what’s bothering you.
Do You Need Anxiety Treatment?
If you’re anxious for no reason and it’s become severe enough to disrupt your daily routine, it’s time to seek help. Without professional treatment, your distressing symptoms could get worse.
A doctor or mental health professional could diagnose you with anxiety if you are experiencing issues like these:
- Restlessness or irritability
- Feeling fatigued and getting burned out easily
- Trouble concentrating
- Frequent panic attacks
- Muscle tension resulting in body aches
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Using drugs or alcohol to mute your symptoms, which could result in a dual diagnosis
Your Home for Healing
If you have anxiety and are also concerned about how often you rely on intoxicating substances to find relief, there is no reason to be afraid to speak up for yourself and ask for help with your mental and behavioral health. Anxiety and addiction can feel isolating, but don’t give up. You are doing the right thing by admitting you have a problem you can’t solve by yourself. Someday soon, your courage will pay off when you begin to overcome your problems and reclaim control of your life.
At Cumberland Heights, we offer comprehensive care that effectively treats addiction and the mental health conditions that often accompany it. At our accredited Tennessee rehab, we have years of experience caring for clients with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health issues. Our team members have developed criteria that help us determine who can benefit most from what we provide. To learn more about starting your recovery here, contact us today.