Reviewed by Lauren Vilar, LCSW, LCAS — trauma and addiction therapist with 12+ years of clinical experience
Stress and anxiety can feel remarkably similar. Both can leave you tense and overwhelmed, with a mind that refuses to shut off when you want it to.
The difference often comes down to what is driving those feelings, how long they last, and how much they are affecting your life. Everyday stress usually has an identifiable source, like a difficult situation or ongoing pressure. When the situation resolves, the stress often begins to ease.
Anxiety can be harder to switch off. The worry continues even when there is no clear problem to solve, and when one concern is resolved, your mind may quickly move on to the next. Over time, anxiety begins affecting how you function and how you feel from day to day.
Stress Is a Normal Part of Life
Everyone experiences stress. A demanding week at work or a problem at home can leave you feeling overwhelmed for a while.
You might find yourself thinking about the situation more than usual or struggling to relax at the end of the day. You may feel on edge while you are dealing with whatever is happening.
Those reactions can be uncomfortable without necessarily pointing to an anxiety disorder. With everyday stress, there is usually something specific creating the pressure. As the problem changes or dissipates, your nervous system has an opportunity to settle too.
When Worry Starts Taking Up Too Much Space
Anxiety often feels more persistent and more focused on what could happen.
You may feel that if you think far enough ahead, you can prevent something from going wrong. Worry starts to feel necessary because it gives you a sense that you are preparing or staying in control. Instead, your mind keeps working overtime.
Signs that anxiety may be becoming more disruptive include:
- You cannot stop worrying, even when you want to
- You feel nervous, tense, or unable to relax much of the time
- Your mind keeps running when you are trying to sleep
- Situations you would normally manage start to feel overwhelming
- You spend a lot of time anticipating what might go wrong
- Anxiety is interfering with your relationships, routines, or ability to enjoy your life
These experiences do not automatically mean you have an anxiety disorder. What matters is whether anxiety has become persistent, difficult to manage, and disruptive to your everyday life.
If you are unsure what is happening, an evaluation can help clarify what you are experiencing and what kind of support might help.
Why Can Anxiety Be So Hard to Turn Off?
Anxiety does not always come from one obvious source. Sometimes it develops after a long period of stress or connects to experiences from your past. For others, perfectionism or the need to know what will happen next can keep worry going.
The things you do to get relief can also become part of the cycle. You might overplan, avoid situations that make you anxious, or lose yourself in your phone when you need an escape. These strategies can bring temporary relief while leaving the anxiety underneath them unchanged.
Therapy gives you space to recognize these patterns and find healthier ways to respond when worry begins taking over.
Anxiety Treatment Can Include Therapy, Medication, Or Both
The most helpful treatment depends on what you are experiencing and what you need. Your history, preferences, and goals all matter when deciding how to move forward.
Depending on your needs, treatment might include therapy, medication, or a combination of the two.
How Therapy Can Help With Anxiety
Therapy can help you recognize what happens when anxiety begins to build and respond before worry takes over your entire day.
At LMV Counseling, we tailor therapy to your individual needs and goals. You can work on coping with anxiety in the moment while also looking at the patterns that keep it going. Therapy can also help you develop a different relationship with difficult emotions and uncertainty.
Your therapist may draw from evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). If past trauma is contributing to your anxiety, EMDR may also be appropriate.
The goal is to help anxiety take up less space so you can feel more present in your life.
When Medication May Be Part of Anxiety Treatment
Medication can also be helpful when anxiety is difficult to manage. The right option depends on your symptoms and overall health, so medication decisions should be individualized.
Certain antidepressants, including SSRIs and SNRIs, are commonly used to treat anxiety. These medications generally take time to begin working and may be used as part of a longer-term treatment plan.
Fast-acting medications such as Xanax, Klonopin, and Ativan belong to a class of medications called benzodiazepines. They can reduce anxiety quickly, but they also carry risks that include tolerance and dependence. Careful prescribing and monitoring are important when these medications are used.
Therapy and medication can also be used together. If medication is part of your treatment, your medication provider can help you weigh the potential benefits and risks based on your needs.
Living With Less Anxiety
The goal of anxiety treatment is to help you feel more capable of handling worry and uncertainty, even when life is stressful.
With support, you can begin recognizing the anxiety spiral sooner and responding differently. Difficult emotions can feel less overwhelming. As anxiety takes up less room, it becomes easier to be present in your relationships and in the parts of life that matter to you.
Over time, you can feel calmer and more able to trust yourself when life is uncertain.
Anxiety Treatment at LMV Counseling
At LMV Counseling, we provide compassionate, personalized treatment for anxiety in our Wilmington office and online throughout North Carolina. We also offer medication management for clients who may benefit from including medication as part of their care.
You do not have to figure out which therapist or treatment approach is the best fit on your own. Our client care coordinator can talk with you about what you are looking for, help verify your insurance, and match you with a therapist who meets your needs.
If anxiety has been taking up too much space in your life, we are here to help you find a way forward and start feeling more like yourself again.
Reviewed by Lauren Vilar, LCSW, LCAS
Lauren is the founder of LMV Counseling and Go Inward. Her advanced training includes ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and MDMA-assisted therapy through MAPS, Fluence, and Polaris Insight Center.