At some point in time, every person has experienced anticipatory anxiety. Perhaps you are a teen who is preparing for your driving exam. Or you are an adult feeling anxious about becoming a new parent. Whatever situation you are experiencing, you can take comfort in knowing that anxiety is your body’s normal response to stress.
Most people tend to wonder or even stress about future situations or occurrences to some extent, but anticipatory anxiety can also become severe. Extremely high levels of anticipatory anxiety can have a negative impact on your daily life and everyday functioning.
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with mental health therapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, couples, and families with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, and Florida.
First, what is anticipatory anxiety?
Anticipatory anxiety is a worry about things that may happen in the future. You may fear that bad things may happen to you or that you may be unable to successfully accomplish your goals. This is the anxiety that you feel when you have to make a hard decision or act in a certain situation.
Anticipatory anxiety is when you buy into your mind’s stories about the negative, what-if possibilities that could occur. You are expecting a distress that you are trained to avoid. Anticipatory anxiety can keep you on edge. It may feel like a warning sign that there is danger ahead.
But, there is one major component of anticipatory anxiety to point out here- your anxious thoughts do not predict your reality. They are simply thoughts. Just because you think it, does not make it true.
You may experience anticipatory anxiety before:
Interviews
Musical or athletic performances
A date or social event
Work meetings or presentations
Exams
You may also experience anticipatory anxiety about potential future events, like:
Natural disasters
Physical violence
The breakdown of a relationship (If you are experiencing this life transition, check out our blog “Is Breakup Counseling Right For Me?”)
The death of a loved one (Read our blog “Grief: How to Cope with Losing a Loved One” for support)
Anticipatory anxiety in action
Let us think about a common fear that many people have, claustrophobia. Claustrophobia is an extreme or irrational fear of confined places.
First, let us identify this fear. You may be thinking “I am afraid to get stuck in the elevator.”
When peeling back this fear, you may gain a deeper understanding regarding your fear of small spaces, but you also begin to understand that you have a fear of the fear. In other words, you are experiencing panic. You may be thinking “If I get stuck in an elevator, I might get so frightened that I have a panic attack and lose control.”
Your third level of fear sounds complex but, in practice, it is quite simple. You are afraid of being afraid of being afraid. You may be thinking “I am miserable even thinking about going to my doctor’s appointment next week because I may get stuck in the elevator and have a panic attack.”
If you are claustrophobic, read our blog “Is There A Way To Overcome Claustrophobia?”.
This third level of fear often triggers avoidance in most people struggling with anticipatory anxiety. A bad prediction, such as having a panic attack, embarrassing yourself, or ruining friendships and/or relationships, can lead to anticipatory anxiety that stops you from moving forward in life. If you’re struggling with panic attacks, check out our blog “How To Manage A Panic Attack.”
If you are experiencing anticipatory anxiety, you feel the urge to avoid:
Anticipatory anxiety is not a diagnosis but, rather, it is a symptom of another anxiety disorder, such as social anxiety disorder. If you are trying to overcome social anxiety, read our blog “6 Helpful Tips for Living with Social Anxiety.”
What are the symptoms of anticipatory anxiety?
If you are feeling nervous, fearful, or concerned over the future, there is a chance that you may be experiencing anticipatory anxiety. You may be thinking about your future in worst case scenarios.
If you are experiencing anticipatory anxiety, you will generally have other anxiety symptoms. Anxiety symptoms can vary from person-to-person. Every anxiety disorder has its own symptoms which differ in intensity and duration.
Some examples of anxiety symptoms include:
Feeling tense or jumpy
Pounding or racing heart
Shortness of breath
Headaches, fatigue, or insomnia (For insomnia support, read “How CBT Can Help With Your Insomnia”)
Restlessness or irritability
Feelings of dread or apprehension
Anticipating the worst
Being watchful for hints of upcoming danger
Sweating, tremors, and twitches
Stomach problems
Take our Anxiety Quiz to figure out if what you are struggling with is anxiety.
What is the root cause of anticipatory anxiety?
If you feel anxious about a stressful event occurring in your life, take comfort in knowing that your response is completely normal and appropriate. Anxiety is a normal human response and process to stress.
While anxiety is normal, it can cross the line into the red area and become an issue. Anxiety can become a problem when you have excessive fear or worries which impact your welfare and functioning.
Anticipatory anxiety occurs alongside other anxiety disorders, such as:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): GAD is responsible for persistent and excessive anxiety regarding different events and activities.
Panic Disorder: Panic Disorder can trigger continuous attacks of panic and extreme anxiety that peak within the span of a few minutes.
Social Anxiety Disorder: Social Anxiety Disorder includes anxiety and avoidance of social situations due to fears of embarrassment of self-consciousness. If you are struggling with self-confidence, check out our blog “The Ultimate Guide to Building Self-Confidence.”
The root cause of a given anxiety disorder is still not known by licensed mental health professionals, but it is estimated to be from a combination of:
Genetics
Life experiences
Medical conditions
Medications
There may also be several factors that puts one at risk for an anxiety disorder, including:
Having other mental health issues (e.g., depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, etc.)
A family history of anxiety disorders
Experiencing trauma or high levels of stress
Using drugs and/or alcohol
Breaking the chains of anticipatory anxiety with the help of an anxiety therapist
Everyone fears some of life’s future events but, if you have severe anticipatory anxiety, it can be helpful to face your potentially overwhelming fears. Anxiety counseling is one effective treatment plan for overcoming anticipatory anxiety.
Your anxiety therapist will be a source of comfort for you as you navigate various life transitions. At Anchor Therapy, we have fully-licensed anxiety counselors who can teach you effective coping skills to alleviate your anxiety symptoms. Our anxiety specialists listen to your concerns while providing practical, useful tools to help manage your anxious thoughts.
We offer in-person sessions in our downtown Hoboken, New Jersey office. We also offer virtual therapy services so you can enjoy the benefits of therapy for anxiety from the comfort of your own home. Our online anxiety therapists are licensed to help all residents of New Jersey, including residents of Bergen County, Jersey City, and Montclair. Our anxiety counselors also offer virtual anxiety counseling to residents of Florida and New York as well.
From Panic to Peace: Psychodynamic Therapy for Anxiety
Anxiety is amongst one of the most common mental health concerns in the world today. In the psychodynamic approach to anxiety therapy, anxiety is seen as an important component of the human condition, a feature that helps us avoid danger and look for security. Anxiety can motivate you to change for future situations and help you manage your life.
On the other hand, anxiety can turn ugly quickly if not managed properly. When anxiety leads to a host of symptoms which negatively impact your life, you know it is time to seek the professional help of a psychodynamic therapist for anxiety.
There are many therapeutic solutions for anxiety, therefore it can be understandably difficult to pick one. No two therapeutic modalities are the same and many anxiety counselors will shift their approach to suit your unique needs.
Many licensed psychotherapists have open and reflective conversations with their clients. By doing so, this can help you pick up on patterns of behavior, thoughts, and emotions that shape your life whether you consciously know it or not.
When you better comprehend your expectations of yourself, your goals, and your fears, you can create a new space for yourself to practice self-improvement. Your psychodynamic counselor will teach you how to erase what stands in your way of fulfillment.
Similar to therapeutic modalities like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), the psychodynamic approach examines your underlying thoughts and beliefs which are triggering your anxiety. Your psychodynamic therapist will also help you explore where those thoughts and beliefs come from and how they were once necessary for your survival even if they are not serving you now.
Psychodynamic counseling is one of the oldest forms of therapy, rooted in Freudian psychology. The essential premise of psychodynamic counseling works by helping you become more aware of your subconscious thoughts so you can gain insight into your behaviors that may be harming you.
If you are interested in exploring other therapeutic modalities for your anxiety, check out our previous blog “How You Can Treat Your Anxiety Using CBT.”
How does psychodynamic therapy work?
If you are looking to find greater meaning in your life, enhance your sense of self-awareness, and investigate how your past influences your current behavior and emotions, psychodynamic counseling is for you.
Psychodynamic therapy delves into distressing thoughts and feelings you may be experiencing by looking into your past, like your developmental years. For example, if you are someone who experienced childhood trauma, this may be a valid source of information regarding how you view yourself and other people, and can help make sense of any problems you have.
In psychodynamic counseling, you will pinpoint your defense mechanisms then address them. The defense mechanisms that you have constructed are the reactions and behaviors that you use to ignore your thoughts and feelings.
In addition to seeking the help of a psychodynamic therapist, what else can I do to control my anticipatory anxiety?
There are several effective coping skills available for people who experience anticipatory anxiety. In addition to psychotherapy for anxiety, there are other steps you can take to manage your anticipatory anxiety symptoms.
Here are some tips and tools that you can take that may help you get through your anticipatory anxiety…
Stay on top of your basic needs
Taking care of yourself means covering all of your self-care bases, including basic needs.
Some little steps you can take towards better mental health include eating a well-balanced diet, reducing sources of stress, and exercising regularly. To learn more about exercise for anxiety, check out our blog “5 Ways Exercise Benefits Your Mental Health.”
Sleep is another important area to work on if you want your anxiety to decrease. You can aim to get enough sleep each night by developing a nighttime routine where you go to sleep at the same time each night and arise at the same time each morning.
However, it is understandable if you are having sleep disturbances as anticipatory anxiety can impact your sleep. Anxiety and sleep actually work hand-in-hand in this way since a lack of sleep can worsen anxiety. Evidence has shown that meditation and breathing exercises can improve your ability to fall asleep more easily. For more information on meditating, read our past blog “How Meditation Can Lead To Stress Reduction.”
2. Talk to yourself like you would a friend
If a friend or loved one was feeling anxious about an event, what would you tell them? Would you roll your eyes and tell them to “get over it”? Would you tell them “It is all in your head”? You likely would not, so you should not do that to yourself. Instead, you should be kind as you would do with a friend. Use compassionate words with yourself.
When you practice self-compassion, it can:
Prevent you from feeling socially isolated
Make you more mindful
Quiet your inner critic
Encourage you to recognize and face your fears
To learn more about yourself, check out our blog “Do You Understand Your Self-Esteem?”.
3. Face your fear
Throwing yourself into the deep end of confronting your fears is not easy, but it is effective in helping you overcome your anticipatory anxiety.
You can ask yourself the following questions:
What am I really anxious about?
How likely is it that my fears will come true?
Are my thoughts rooted in reality?
Once your anxiety is pinpointed, you can work on changing your thought process. You can use reframing techniques to change your false thought patterns and change your perception of the given feared situation.
While self-help strategies are effective, they may not help you overcome your anticipatory anxiety 100% and that is where the help of an anxiety therapist comes into play. By working with a professional anxiety counselor, you can both work together to come up with a treatment plan for you, including therapy sessions and coping skills. By implementing self-help strategies and working with a psychodynamic counselor, you can effectively manage your anticipatory anxiety and gain a more positive outlook on life!
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager and Intake Coordinator at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark. In her roles, Victoria is committed to managing the office’s social media presence and prioritizing clients' needs.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR HELP FROM A PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR TO ASSIST YOU IN MAKING POSITIVE CHANGES IN YOUR LIFE, CONTACT US
WORKING WITH US IS EASY
Fill out the contact form below.
Our intake coordinator will get back to you with more information on how we can help and to schedule an appointment. We will set you up with an experienced licensed therapist who specializes in what you're seeking help with and who understands your needs.
You’ll rest easy tonight knowing you made the first step to improve your life.
