What Is Anxiety? Symptoms, Causes & Treatment
Anxiety is the body’s natural alarm system — a built-in way of detecting danger and preparing you to stay safe. We often use the analogy of a fire alarm when explaining anxiety. A fire alarm is designed to go off when a fire is detected. In the same way, anxiety “goes off” when your body senses a real or perceived threat.
This alarm system is essential for survival. It helps you respond quickly, stay alert, and protect yourself. But just like some smoke detectors are extremely sensitive and go off when smoke from food cooking drifts by, some people have more sensitive internal alarm systems.
If you experience anxiety, your internal alarm may:
In therapy, we don’t aim to stop the alarm system entirely — because anxiety is important and helps keeps you safe. Instead, we help you learn how to handle your alarm when it goes off and gently retrain it over time, so it feels less overwhelming in moments that aren’t truly dangerous.
We offer individual therapy for anxiety (for children, teens, and adults) as well as parenting groups that support families navigating childhood and teen anxiety. If you’re interested in learning more, please complete our contact form.
This page walks you through the most common symptoms, causes, and treatment options for anxiety, along with clear answers to the top questions people search online.
This alarm system is essential for survival. It helps you respond quickly, stay alert, and protect yourself. But just like some smoke detectors are extremely sensitive and go off when smoke from food cooking drifts by, some people have more sensitive internal alarm systems.
If you experience anxiety, your internal alarm may:
- Detect real threats effectively
- But also react to things that seem dangerous but aren’t actually harmful
(e.g., social situations, making mistakes, public speaking, trying something new)
In therapy, we don’t aim to stop the alarm system entirely — because anxiety is important and helps keeps you safe. Instead, we help you learn how to handle your alarm when it goes off and gently retrain it over time, so it feels less overwhelming in moments that aren’t truly dangerous.
We offer individual therapy for anxiety (for children, teens, and adults) as well as parenting groups that support families navigating childhood and teen anxiety. If you’re interested in learning more, please complete our contact form.
This page walks you through the most common symptoms, causes, and treatment options for anxiety, along with clear answers to the top questions people search online.
What Are the Symptoms of Anxiety?
Anxiety can influence the body, emotions, thinking patterns, and behavior. Symptoms vary from child to child, but commonly include:
Physiological & Emotional Symptoms: These include both the physical sensations of anxiety and the feelings that come with an activated alarm system.
Thinking Symptoms: These involve the patterns of thoughts commonly influenced by anxiety.
Behavioral Symptoms: Anxiety often shows up in how children and teens act or cope.
Physiological & Emotional Symptoms: These include both the physical sensations of anxiety and the feelings that come with an activated alarm system.
- Excessive distress that seems out of proportion to the situation
- Headaches or stomachaches without a medical cause
- Rapid heartbeat or palpitations
- Shortness of breath or chest tightness
- Muscle tension, trembling, or restlessness
- Sweating or hot flashes
- Fatigue or feeling easily tired
- Irritability, frustration, or angry outbursts
- Feeling overwhelmed, “on edge,” or unusually sensitive to stress
- Trouble sleeping (difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, nightmares, or needing someone nearby to sleep)
Thinking Symptoms: These involve the patterns of thoughts commonly influenced by anxiety.
- Constant worrying, especially about future events
- “What if?” thinking and catastrophic predictions
- Overthinking or mental reviewing
- Perfectionistic thoughts or being excessively self-critical
- Feeling overly responsible or needing things to be “just right”
- Difficulty concentrating or focusing
- Trouble making decisions
- Repetitive reassurance-seeking (“Will I be okay?” “What if…?”)
Behavioral Symptoms: Anxiety often shows up in how children and teens act or cope.
- Avoidance of expected activities (school, friends’ homes, extracurriculars, errands, vacations)
- School refusal or difficulty separating from caregivers
- Refusal behaviors or oppositional behaviors when anxious
- Seeking excessive comfort, reassurance, or coaxing to do normal activities
- Difficulty with social or group activities
- Attention-seeking behaviors when distressed
- Hyperactivity, restlessness, or difficulty sitting still
- Scholastic underachievement related to worry, perfectionism, or avoidance
- Difficulty completing tasks due to checking, worries, or hesitation
Frequently Asked Questions About Anxiety
Is Anxiety Normal or Is Something Wrong With Me?
Anxiety is a normal human experience — everyone feels it at times. It often shows up before first dates, job interviews, exams, presentations, competitions, or new situations. Feeling anxious in these moments is part of how your body helps you prepare.
Anxiety becomes a concern when it:
If your anxiety feels persistent or difficult to control, you are not alone — and effective support is available. Many people experience this, and with the right tools, anxiety becomes much more manageable.
If your anxiety feels persistent or difficult to control, you are not alone — and effective support is available. Many people experience this, and with the right tools, anxiety becomes much more manageable.
Anxiety becomes a concern when it:
- Happens frequently
- Feels out of proportion to the situation
- Interferes with sleep, work, school, sports, relationships, or daily life
- Feels overwhelming or hard to manage
If your anxiety feels persistent or difficult to control, you are not alone — and effective support is available. Many people experience this, and with the right tools, anxiety becomes much more manageable.
If your anxiety feels persistent or difficult to control, you are not alone — and effective support is available. Many people experience this, and with the right tools, anxiety becomes much more manageable.
What’s the Difference Between Normal Anxiety and An Anxiety Disorder?
Anxiety is a normal human experience. Everyone feels it at times — before interviews, presentations, first dates, important meetings, or new situations. In these moments, anxiety is simply your body’s way of getting you ready to perform, stay alert, and protect yourself.
Anxiety becomes a disorder when the body’s alarm system starts going off:
Anxiety becomes a disorder when the body’s alarm system starts going off:
- Too often
- Too strongly
- In situations that aren’t actually dangerous
- Or in ways that interfere with daily life
- Persistent or excessive worry
- Difficulty controlling anxious thoughts
- Physical symptoms (e.g., stomachaches, chest tightness, dizziness) without a medical cause
- Avoiding situations to reduce anxiety
- Trouble sleeping
- Irritability, overwhelm, or feeling constantly “on edge”
- Anxiety that makes school, work, relationships, or daily tasks harder
- Normal anxiety is temporary and tied to specific events.
- An anxiety disorder is ongoing, distressing, and begins to limit a person’s life.
What Causes Anxiety?
Anxiety develops through a combination of factors — there is rarely a single cause. Most people experience anxiety because of a mix of:
Biological Factors
Avoidance plays a big role in anxiety. In the short term, avoiding uncomfortable situations, emotions, or sensations can bring relief — but over time, avoidance teaches the nervous system that these situations are dangerous.
This can cause the body’s alarm system to become overactive or oversensitive, going off into fight, flight, or freeze when the situation feels threatening but isn’t actually unsafe.
Biological Factors
- Genetics or family history
- Differences in brain chemistry and how the nervous system responds to stress
- Being sensitive, cautious, or highly attuned to potential threats
- Perfectionistic tendencies or a strong desire for predictability
- A tendency to avoid discomfort, uncertainty, or difficult emotions
- Stressful or overwhelming events
- Sudden changes or major transitions
- Health scares, medical events, or chronic stress
- Learning anxious responses from family or environment
Avoidance plays a big role in anxiety. In the short term, avoiding uncomfortable situations, emotions, or sensations can bring relief — but over time, avoidance teaches the nervous system that these situations are dangerous.
This can cause the body’s alarm system to become overactive or oversensitive, going off into fight, flight, or freeze when the situation feels threatening but isn’t actually unsafe.
Can Anxiety Cause Physical Symptoms Like Chest Pain or Dizziness?
Yes. Anxiety can cause very real physical symptoms — including chest pain, dizziness, stomachaches, shortness of breath, trembling, and a racing heartbeat. These sensations often come from the body’s fight, flight, or freeze response being activated, even when the situation is a false alarm (a moment that feels dangerous but isn’t actually unsafe).
When the body thinks there is a threat, it releases stress hormones that:
It’s important to know that these symptoms are real and can be very distressing — especially for children and teens who may not understand what’s happening. Yes, they are also a normal part of our bodies fear-flight-freeze response.
However, if these symptoms are new, severe, or appear suddenly, it’s always a good idea to rule out medical causes first. Once medical concerns have been ruled out, these symptoms are often best understood as part of the body’s anxiety response.
With the right support — including CBT, ACT, exposure-based strategies, and nervous-system regulation tools — these physical symptoms typically become much more manageable over time.
When the body thinks there is a threat, it releases stress hormones that:
- Make the heart beat faster
- Change breathing patterns
- Tighten muscles
- Increase stomach and digestive sensitivity
- Alter balance and blood flow
It’s important to know that these symptoms are real and can be very distressing — especially for children and teens who may not understand what’s happening. Yes, they are also a normal part of our bodies fear-flight-freeze response.
However, if these symptoms are new, severe, or appear suddenly, it’s always a good idea to rule out medical causes first. Once medical concerns have been ruled out, these symptoms are often best understood as part of the body’s anxiety response.
With the right support — including CBT, ACT, exposure-based strategies, and nervous-system regulation tools — these physical symptoms typically become much more manageable over time.
What are the Different Types of Anxiety?
Anxiety shows up in different ways. Understanding the type you’re experiencing can help make sense of your symptoms and guide treatment. Common types include:
- Generalized Anxiety: Involves constant, unwarranted worry about a wide range of everyday things. Children and teens with generalized anxiety may feel they “worry too much about everything” and struggle to turn off their worry thoughts.
- Specific Phobia (e.g., spiders, heights, needles, etc.): Involves a very strong fear of a specific object or situation. These situations are either avoided altogether or endured with high levels of distress.
- Social Anxiety (Social Phobia): Involves a persistent fear of being observed, judged, or negatively evaluated by others. Young people with social anxiety often fear embarrassment or humiliation in public, and may struggle with social situations, exams, or presentations.
- Panic Disorder: Involves sudden, unpredictable panic attacks that seem to come out of the blue. These episodes are intense and may include heart-attack-like symptoms (such as palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, “butterflies” in the stomach, or sweating) along with feelings of impending doom or danger.
- Agoraphobia: Involves excessive fear and avoidance of situations where someone might feel trapped, helpless, or embarrassed. Common triggers include using public transportation, being in open or enclosed spaces, standing in line, or being in a crowd.
- Separation Anxiety: Involves excessive fear or distress when needing to leave home or separate from an attachment figure. This is especially common in children and teens.
- Selective Mutism: Children with selective mutism can speak comfortably at home but become unable to speak in certain settings (such as school). This is driven by anxiety, not defiance.
How Can I Calm Anxiety Quickly?
Fast-acting strategies can help reduce mild or low-level anxiety in the moment, but they don’t create long-term change on their own. These tools help your body settle and can make it easier to get through difficult situations:
These techniques can be very helpful in the moment, but they are short-term supports.
For lasting relief from anxiety, approaches such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), exposure-based strategies, and other evidence-based treatments are the most effective. Therapy helps you retrain your internal alarm system so anxiety becomes less intense and easier to manage over time.
- Deep breathing (such as box breathing or 4-7-8 breathing)
- Grounding techniques (like the 5-4-3-2-1 method)
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Cold water on face to help reset the nervous system
These techniques can be very helpful in the moment, but they are short-term supports.
For lasting relief from anxiety, approaches such as CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), exposure-based strategies, and other evidence-based treatments are the most effective. Therapy helps you retrain your internal alarm system so anxiety becomes less intense and easier to manage over time.
When Should I Seek Professional Help for Anxiety?
People often wait far too long to seek support for anxiety, which can lead to unnecessary suffering. Anxiety is not a phase that someone simply “grows out of.” In fact, without support, anxiety tends to grow over time, especially because avoidance provides short-term relief but reinforces long-term fear. The more someone avoids situations that feel uncomfortable, the harder those situations become — and the more powerful the anxiety response gets.
You don’t need to wait until symptoms feel severe to seek help. It may be time to reach out for support when anxiety:
Reaching out is a proactive step toward building confidence and experiencing long-lasting change.
You don’t need to wait until symptoms feel severe to seek help. It may be time to reach out for support when anxiety:
- Happens frequently or feels out of proportion
- Interferes with sleep, work, school, relationships, or daily functioning
- Causes persistent physical symptoms with no medical explanation
- Leads to significant worry, rumination, or difficulty concentrating
- Triggers avoidance of daily activities or responsibilities
- Requires excessive reassurance or “working around” fears
- Feels overwhelming, exhausting, or hard to manage alone
Reaching out is a proactive step toward building confidence and experiencing long-lasting change.
How Is Anxiety Treated?
Anxiety is highly treatable, and several evidence-based approaches are shown to help reduce symptoms, retrain the alarm system, and improve functioning.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT helps people understand patterns of worry, challenge unhelpful thoughts, and gradually face situations they’ve been avoiding. This reduces the intensity of anxiety over time.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT teaches skills for responding differently to anxious thoughts and sensations, reducing their control. It focuses on building psychological flexibility and taking actions aligned with personal values.
Exposure-Based Strategies: Exposure involves gradually approaching feared situations rather than avoiding them. With support and practice, the alarm system becomes less sensitive, and confidence grows.
Lifestyle Supports: Healthy routines—such as consistent sleep, regular movement, balanced nutrition, and reduced caffeine—can help support the nervous system and decrease overall anxiety levels.
Medication: For some people, medication can be helpful alongside therapy, particularly for moderate to severe anxiety. Research has shown that medication is most effective when combined with psychological treatment.
Our team offers all of these evidence-based treatment methods, including CBT, ACT, and exposure-based approaches. We work collaboratively to help individuals of all ages build tools, reduce avoidance, and create long-lasting change in how they respond to anxiety.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT helps people understand patterns of worry, challenge unhelpful thoughts, and gradually face situations they’ve been avoiding. This reduces the intensity of anxiety over time.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT teaches skills for responding differently to anxious thoughts and sensations, reducing their control. It focuses on building psychological flexibility and taking actions aligned with personal values.
Exposure-Based Strategies: Exposure involves gradually approaching feared situations rather than avoiding them. With support and practice, the alarm system becomes less sensitive, and confidence grows.
Lifestyle Supports: Healthy routines—such as consistent sleep, regular movement, balanced nutrition, and reduced caffeine—can help support the nervous system and decrease overall anxiety levels.
Medication: For some people, medication can be helpful alongside therapy, particularly for moderate to severe anxiety. Research has shown that medication is most effective when combined with psychological treatment.
Our team offers all of these evidence-based treatment methods, including CBT, ACT, and exposure-based approaches. We work collaboratively to help individuals of all ages build tools, reduce avoidance, and create long-lasting change in how they respond to anxiety.
Does Anxiety Ever Go Away?
For many people, anxiety significantly improves with treatment. In some cases, anxiety comes and goes depending on stress levels.
While it may not disappear completely for everyone, most people learn to manage it well so that it doesn’t interfere with the quality of their lives.
While it may not disappear completely for everyone, most people learn to manage it well so that it doesn’t interfere with the quality of their lives.
Recommended Anxiety Resources
Anxiety Education & Self-Help Tools
Youth Mental Health Resources (Canada)
Apps for Managing Anxiety
- Anxiety Canada: Provides clear, evidence-based information on anxiety, along with tools, worksheets, and CBT-based strategies for children, teens, and adults.
- Anxiety and Depression Association of America: Offers extensive information on anxiety, panick attacks, phobias, OCD, and depression, including self-help strategies and research-backed guidance.
- Canadian Mental Health Association: Connects to a national, credible mental health organization offering information, community supports, and educational materials for people of all ages.
- Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions: Provides a wealth of information on the SPACE program, an evidence-based program that helps parents support children who struggle with anxiety. Offers guides, training, and practical strategies for reducing family accomodations.
- Child Mind Institute: Provides high-quality, clinician-informed articles and videos on child and teen mental health, including anxiety, OCD, and school-related concerns.
- Kelty Mental Health: Offers family-friendly resources, toolkits, and guidance for navigating mental health supports in your community.
Youth Mental Health Resources (Canada)
- Foundry: A BC-based resource offering mental health, wellness, and substance-use support for youth and young adults. Includes walk-in and virtual services.
- Here to Help: Provides accessible, evidence-based information on anxiety and other mental health concerns for children, teens, and adults.
- Foundry: A BC-based resource providing mental health and wellness support for youth and young adults, including walk-in and virtual services.
- Teen Mental Health: Easy-to-understand, youth-friendly information and resources for parents, teens, and educators.
Apps for Managing Anxiety
- MindShift: A free CBT-based app (created by Anxiety Canada) offering coping tools, worksheets, and strategies for managing anxiety.
- Smiling Minds is a great app with numerous mindfulness and relaxation activities for children and teens.
- GoNoodle – Rainbow Breath (for Kids): A child-friendly guided breathing video that teaches slow, calming breaths in a playful way.