Living with Anxiety: A Quiet Struggle
Anxiety isn’t always loud. It doesn’t always look like panic attacks or dramatic breakdowns. Sometimes, it shows up as overthinking every text message. Replaying conversations late at night. Feeling like something bad is about to happen — even when everything seems fine.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in this kind of mental loop, you’re not alone. Anxiety disorders affect more than 40 million adults in the U.S. every year, but many people go undiagnosed or untreated because they assume their symptoms are “just stress.”
Understanding what anxiety really is — and how to treat it — is the first step toward feeling better.
Jordan’s Story: When Everyday Worry Becomes Too Much
Jordan is a 32-year-old graphic designer. On the surface, she seems high-functioning. But inside, she’s constantly tense. She second-guesses herself at work. She dreads social plans. She lies awake at night running through worst-case scenarios.
Eventually, Jordan began searching online: “Why can’t I stop worrying?” “Do I have anxiety?” She was surprised by how many of her symptoms lined up with generalized anxiety disorder. It was a turning point — not because it solved everything, but because it gave her a name for what she was feeling. And a reason to reach out for help.
What Is an Anxiety Disorder?
Anxiety disorders are mental health conditions characterized by persistent, excessive worry or fear that interferes with daily functioning. They can affect anyone — regardless of age, background, or lifestyle.
Common types of anxiety disorders include:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Chronic worry about many aspects of life, even without a clear cause
Panic Disorder: Sudden episodes of intense fear, often with physical symptoms like a racing heart or shortness of breath
Social Anxiety Disorder: Extreme fear of being judged or embarrassed in social situations
Specific Phobias: Irrational fears of particular objects or scenarios (like flying, needles, or public speaking)
It’s also common for anxiety to occur alongside depression, post-traumatic stress, OCD, or substance use issues — which can complicate symptoms and make treatment even more essential.
Symptoms of Anxiety
While anxiety looks different for everyone, common symptoms include:
Feeling on edge or restless
Racing thoughts or difficulty concentrating
Trouble falling or staying asleep
Physical symptoms like headaches, stomach pain, or muscle tension
Avoiding situations or people that trigger worry
If these symptoms persist for more than a few weeks and start to interfere with work, relationships, or daily functioning, it may be time to explore treatment.
How Is Anxiety Treated?
The good news is that anxiety disorders are highly treatable. The two most effective approaches are therapy and medication — and many people benefit from using both.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is the gold standard for treating anxiety. It works by helping people identify and challenge the unhelpful thought patterns that fuel anxious feelings. Through CBT, people learn new ways of thinking and coping that reduce anxiety over time — often with long-lasting results (Hofmann et al., 2012).
CBT is particularly well-suited to digital formats. Programs like Affect offer CBT-based content, tools, and therapist-led sessions through a convenient app, making it easier than ever to access care.
Medications for Anxiety
Several medications, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are effective in treating anxiety disorders. These medications work by adjusting brain chemistry to reduce excessive worry and physical symptoms of anxiety. Medication can be prescribed alongside therapy and managed virtually through platforms like Affect (Bandelow et al., 2017).
How Digital Care with Affect Can Help
Affect offers a modern way to get help for anxiety. Through our app, you can:
Meet with licensed therapists and prescribers through telehealth
Access CBT-based lessons and tools from your phone
Track your progress, set goals, and stay accountable
Get support for co-occurring conditions like depression or substance use
Everything happens in one place — no waiting rooms, no judgment, and no barriers to starting care.
Jordan’s Progress: Real Change Starts Small
After starting treatment through Affect, Jordan began weekly therapy sessions and started a guided CBT program in the app. Within a few weeks, she noticed her thoughts slowing down. Her sleep improved. She caught herself worrying — and now had tools to respond, rather than spiral.
The change wasn’t overnight. But it was real. And it began with one simple step: reaching out for help.
Anxiety Doesn’t Have to Be Forever
You’re not “too sensitive.” You’re not imagining things. And you’re definitely not alone. If anxiety has made life feel smaller, harder, or overwhelming, help is available — and it works.
References
Bandelow, B., Reitt, M., Röver, C., Michaelis, S., Görlich, Y., & Wedekind, D. (2017). Efficacy of treatments for anxiety disorders: A meta-analysis. International Clinical Psychopharmacology, 32(5), 249–259. https://doi.org/10.1097/YIC.0000000000000198
Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427–440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1
National Institute of Mental Health. (2023). Any Anxiety Disorder. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder