As a psychologist, I come across people inquiring me about anxiety with a confused look on their faces.

Anxiety is like an uninvited guest that overstays its welcome in your mind.

The biggest problem for those suffering from anxiety is the misinformation and misunderstanding about the anxiety itself.

If you want to finally get a hold of it, it’s important to unlearn the popular misconceptions you’ve heard about anxiety.

Let me help you separate fact from fiction. In the rest of the article, I will walk you through the common myths out there. I’ll try to explain why they are false and give you a better way to think about it moving forward.

1. Anxiety is just a fancy word for stress

Many people use the terms “stress” and “anxiety” interchangeably assuming they mean the same.

It goes beyond everyday stress. It’s not an amplified form of stress.

It is an excessive or extreme worry about something that has not even happened yet, about future events. Whereas, stress, on the other hand, is a natural response to external pressure.

For example, imagine yourself walking on a tightrope. You might experience stress due to the temporary imbalance that occurs when walking on a tightrope(even when you have done it many times before).

But if it’s anxiety that you feel, there will be a consistent fear of falling that lingers long after you have crossed the tightrope.

• your heart might race.
• your palms could get sweaty
• world might seem a bit too overwhelming

Therefore, to work your way through it, you need to get to the root cause of what’s causing it, the root cause of it.

So, the next time you find yourself in persistent worry, or sleep disturbance due to the fear of not meeting a work deadline, it has likely transitioned into anxiety. Now you will need to comprehend the nature of your emotions and seek appropriate coping mechanisms.

2. Only Weak People Experience Anxiety

One very common misconception is that it is a sign of weakness or lack of endurance. This stereotype might be stopping a lot of you from seeking help due to fear of judgment.

Picture a successful person, a high-achieving professional who, despite all of the external success, experiences anxiety about maintaining success.

This does not stem from weakness but from the expectations and pressure they place on themselves.

Mental health is not a reflection of character, therefore, taking help for your anxiety is not because you are weak, it’s because you are scared of what people might think of you.

You need to acknowledge and address these internal pressures and seek help when needed.

Strength and vulnerability coexist in everyone, making it important to know that anxiety does not diminish your strength.

If you are struggling with anxiety and want someone to help you, click here .

3. It’s All In Your Head

If it was all in your head….heart palpitations, muscle tension, and a surge in adrenaline would not be showing in your body.

These signs are not figments of imagination; they are concrete, physical manifestations of the body’s anxious response.

“Snap out of it!”, “Think Positive”, are some of the common phrases we hear from others. This dismissive attitude that most people carry toward mental health, is very harmful.

For example, one of my clients learnt that a racing heart during anxious moments wasn’t a sign of their weakness but a physiological(bodily) response. Understanding this allowed us to approach it with a better understanding.

Also, make sure that your relationships are going on smoothly. Because a lot of anxiety stems from unhealthy relationships.

You can click here if you have symptoms of anxiety. 

So, if you struggle to get assertive in relationships, asking for what you want and need, you will be overwhelmed by other people’s requests and demands that might trigger your anxiety.

4. You Were Born This Way

One common myth I have observed in my clients who want to be less anxious is that they are afraid that things will never change for them because this is how they are.

“My mother has anxiety, my grandmother had anxiety, maybe that’s why I am anxious all the time”. Or my personal favourite: “I’ve always been an anxious person, it’s in my genes”.

Fun fact- no predestined anxiety gene is making you anxious. In fact, at most, the research suggests that about 30% of a person’s proclivity for it is based on heritable factors. The other 70% depends on how your basic temperaments interact with your early experiences.

Harsh truth- Controlling your worry and reminding yourself to get back in the present is the only way to control your anxiety. 

And, ironically, the best way to control your anxiety is to let go of trying to control your anxiety.

If you are struggling with anxiety and want someone to help you, click here or check out the Appointments page.