Symptoms, Causes, and How Therapy Helps Anxiety

Anxiety is a common and often misunderstood mental health challenge. It can take over your thoughts, tighten your chest, and make daily life feel exhausting. But you don’t have to face it alone—therapy can help you break free from anxiety’s grip and reclaim your peace of mind.

In this blog, you’ll learn what anxiety really is, how it works in the brain and body, and how evidence-based anxiety therapy approaches can bring relief—even if nothing else has worked before.

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress or perceived danger. It’s meant to protect you, but when it becomes chronic or triggered by everyday situations, it can disrupt your ability to work, connect, or simply enjoy life.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) defines anxiety disorders as persistent, excessive worry or fear that interferes with daily functioning (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety can look different for each person, but common symptoms include:

Physical Symptoms

• Racing heart or tight chest
• Shallow breathing
• Muscle tension or restlessness
• Nausea or stomach pain

Mental & Emotional Symptoms

• Overthinking and worry
• Feeling overwhelmed or on edge
• Difficulty concentrating
• Dread, panic, or fear of losing control

Behavioural Symptoms

• Avoiding certain situations or people
• Seeking constant reassurance
• Checking, researching, or planning excessively
• Withdrawing from social interaction

Why Anxiety Happens: Root Causes

Many people ask, “What causes anxiety?” Anxiety often stems from a mix of genetics, life experiences, and mental habits:

• A family history of anxiety can increase your likelihood (Hettema et al., 2001).
• Past trauma, stress, or negative experiences may sensitise your nervous system.
• Personality traits like perfectionism or a high need for control are common among anxious individuals.
• Mental habits—like catastrophic thinking or intolerance of uncertainty—can reinforce anxious cycles (Wells, 2009).

How Therapy Helps: Breaking the Anxiety Cycle

One of the biggest reasons anxiety persists is because of how we respond to it. Avoiding what makes us anxious may offer short-term relief, but it teaches the brain that we’re in danger.

Therapy for anxiety offers tools to stop this cycle and face fears in a safe, structured way—retraining the brain to calm down.

Proven Therapy Approaches for Anxiety Relief

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT for anxiety helps identify and change thought patterns that fuel anxiety. It empowers you to:

• Challenge unrealistic fears
• Reframe distorted beliefs
• Face feared situations instead of avoiding them
• Build emotional resilience

Studies confirm CBT’s strong effectiveness for anxiety (Hofmann et al., 2012).

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

ERP is a specific CBT technique especially helpful for panic, OCD, and phobias. It involves:

• Gradual, guided exposure to feared thoughts or situations
• Reducing “safety behaviours” like avoidance or checking
• Building confidence that you can handle anxiety without running from it

Research supports ERP as one of the most effective anxiety treatments (Kozak & Foa, 1997).

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT therapy helps you accept anxious thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them. It teaches you to:

• Unhook from your thoughts
• Stay present
• Take actions that reflect your values—even while feeling anxious

This approach is especially powerful for people who feel stuck trying to “fix” or “control” their anxiety (Hayes et al., 2006).

Mindfulness & Metacognitive Strategies

Rather than focusing on the content of anxious thoughts, many therapies now focus on how we relate to them. You’ll learn to:

• Observe thoughts and sensations without judgment
• Let go of the need for certainty or control
• Reduce compulsive thinking (rumination, over-planning)

This shift in mindset is supported by therapies like Metacognitive Therapy (Wells, 2009) and other mindfulness-based approaches.

When Should You Seek Therapy for Anxiety?

You might benefit from therapy if:

• You feel anxious more days than not
• You avoid things you once enjoyed
• You’re constantly seeking reassurance or researching your fears
• Anxiety is interfering with sleep, work, or relationships

The earlier you seek support, the easier it is to reverse the anxiety cycle.

You Don’t Have to Handle Anxiety Alone

Anxiety can feel like it’s running your life—but it doesn’t have to stay that way. With the right support, you can learn to ride the wave of anxiety instead of being pulled under by it.

Therapy helps you develop the tools and confidence to face fears, shift old patterns, and reconnect with what matters most.

Take the First Step Toward Relief

If anxiety is holding you back, working with a therapist can help you move forward. You don’t need to “wait until it’s bad enough” to get support.

Real change is possible—and it starts with one conversation.

Schedule a free 20-minute discovery call with me today and let’s start to reduce the impact anxiety has in your life.

References

• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.).
• Craske, M. G., et al. (2014). Optimizing inhibitory learning during exposure therapy. Behaviour Research and Therapy.
• Hayes, S. C., et al. (2006). Acceptance and commitment therapy: Model, processes and outcomes. Behaviour Research and Therapy.
• Hettema, J. M., et al. (2001). A review and meta-analysis of the genetic epidemiology of anxiety disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry.
• Hofmann, S. G., et al. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research.
• Kozak, M. J., & Foa, E. B. (1997). Mastery of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach. Oxford University Press.
• Wells, A. (2009). Metacognitive Therapy for Anxiety and Depression. Guilford Press.