When Your Brain Won’t Stop Looking for the Next Thing to Worry About
What if something goes wrong?
What if I embarrass myself?
What if this feeling doesn’t stop?
What if that headache means something terrible?
What if they don’t text back?
What if I can’t cope?
What if, what if, what if…
Anxiety can be loud and obvious.
A racing heart.
Panic.
Shaking.
Feeling like you can’t breathe.
But it can also be much quieter.
Constantly rehearsing conversations.
Checking things repeatedly.
Avoiding situations because they might make you uncomfortable.
Lying awake at 2am running scenarios through your head.
Feeling permanently braced for something to go wrong – even when, technically, everything is fine.
Some anxiety is completely normal.
Your brain and body are designed to notice potential threats and prepare you to respond. Anxiety can sharpen your attention before an exam, job interview or difficult conversation.
The problem is when the alarm system seems unable to switch off.
When worry becomes hard to control, happens much of the time or starts interfering with your sleep, work, relationships, social life or ability to do ordinary things, it may be time to get some support.
At The Urban Alchemist in Carlton North, our main treatment pathways for anxiety include Psychology and EMDR , with complementary approaches including Acupuncture and Hypnotherapy where appropriate.
You don’t need to know exactly what kind of anxiety you have before you ask for help.
Find Support for Anxiety
SECONDARY TEXT LINK: Not sure who to book? Contact our team on (03) 9347 9247.
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is your body’s natural response to a real or perceived threat.
When your brain detects danger, it prepares you to respond.
Your heart may beat faster.
Your breathing changes.
Your muscles tense.
Your attention becomes sharply focused.
This system is useful when you genuinely need to react quickly.
Less useful when the “threat” is:
Sending an email.
Going to a party.
Getting on a plane.
Making a mistake.
Waiting for medical results.
Or lying in bed imagining seventeen different disasters that haven’t happened.
Occasional anxiety is part of being human.
An anxiety condition is different.
Anxiety becomes more concerning when anxious feelings don’t go away, feel out of proportion to what’s happening, cause significant distress or interfere with ordinary daily life.
What Does Anxiety Feel Like?
Anxiety can affect your thoughts, emotions, body and behaviour.
You might experience:
- Excessive worry
- Feeling restless or unable to settle
- A sense that something bad is about to happen
- Feeling tense or on edge
- Difficulty controlling your thoughts
- Catastrophising
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Trouble sleeping
- Feeling exhausted from constantly being “on”
- Avoiding situations that make you anxious
- Repeated reassurance seeking
- Checking behaviours
- Panic attacks
Physical symptoms can include:
- Racing or pounding heart
- Tightness in the chest
- Shortness of breath
- Rapid breathing
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Sweating
- Trembling
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- Butterflies or a churning stomach
- Muscle tension
- Headaches
- Tingling or numbness
Anxiety can be profoundly physical.
It isn’t simply “thinking too much.”
Anxiety Isn’t Always Obvious
Some anxious people look anxious.
Others look spectacularly competent.
They’re organised.
Early.
Prepared.
Helpful.
They’ve considered every possible outcome.
They’ve packed three backup chargers.
They’ve reread the email seven times before sending it.
From the outside:
Impressive.
From the inside:
“If I stop controlling everything, something terrible will happen.”
Anxiety can hide inside behaviours that receive plenty of social praise:
- Perfectionism
- Over-preparing
- Constant productivity
- People pleasing
- Difficulty delegating
- Checking
- Seeking reassurance
- Avoiding uncertainty
- Trying to control every outcome
The behaviour may reduce anxiety temporarily.
But sometimes that temporary relief teaches your brain that the danger was real and that the safety behaviour was necessary.
And the cycle continues.
What’s the Difference Between Stress and Anxiety?
Stress and anxiety overlap, but they’re not identical.
Stress often has an obvious external source:
A deadline.
Relationship conflict.
Financial pressure.
Too much work.
A sick family member.
When the situation resolves, the stress often reduces.
Anxiety may continue even when there isn’t an immediate threat – or the level of fear may be much greater than the actual danger warrants.
A useful shorthand might be:
Stress says:
“There’s a lot happening.”
Anxiety says:
“What if something goes wrong?”
But human beings don’t fit neatly into boxes.
You can absolutely experience both.
Burnout
What Causes Anxiety?
There isn’t one cause.
Anxiety isn’t adequately explained by a simple “chemical imbalance.”
It appears to develop through an interaction between many possible factors, including:
- Genetics and family history
- Temperament
- Prolonged stress
- Trauma or abuse
- Major life events
- Relationship or family difficulties
- Housing or financial instability
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Physical health conditions
- Other mental health conditions
- Alcohol or drug use
- Withdrawal from substances
- Learned patterns of fear and avoidance
Sometimes there is a clear story.
Sometimes someone says:
“My life is actually pretty good. Why the hell am I anxious?”
You don’t need to identify one perfect origin story before treatment can help.
Different Types of Anxiety
“Anxiety” isn’t one diagnosis.
Several different anxiety conditions exist, and they can look quite different.
Generalised Anxiety Disorder
Generalised Anxiety Disorder involves persistent, excessive worry about everyday things that is difficult to control.
You might worry about:
- Work
- Money
- Health
- Family
- Relationships
- Making mistakes
- The future
- Things you logically know aren’t very likely
The problem isn’t that you worry.
Everybody worries.
It’s that the worrying becomes persistent, difficult to control and disruptive to everyday life.
Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder
A panic attack is an intense surge of fear accompanied by strong physical symptoms.
These can include:
- Racing heart
- Chest tightness
- Breathlessness
- Trembling
- Sweating
- Dizziness
- Tingling
- Nausea
- Feeling detached or unreal
- Fear of losing control
- Fear that you’re dying
The physical sensations can be so intense that people genuinely believe they’re having a heart attack or another medical emergency.
Panic disorder involves recurrent panic attacks together with ongoing fear about having another one or changing your behaviour to try to prevent them.
If you’re experiencing these symptoms for the first time – particularly chest pain, significant breathing difficulty or symptoms you’re unsure about – medical assessment is appropriate rather than simply assuming it’s anxiety.
Social Anxiety
Social anxiety is more than being shy.
It involves significant fear of being judged, embarrassed, rejected or negatively evaluated by other people.
You might avoid:
- Speaking in groups
- Meeting new people
- Eating in public
- Work presentations
- Parties
- Dating
- Making phone calls
- Asking questions
- Situations where attention might be focused on you
Avoidance reduces anxiety in the short term.
Unfortunately, it can also make your world increasingly small.
Health Anxiety
Health anxiety can make ordinary bodily sensations feel terrifying.
A headache becomes a brain tumour.
A racing heart becomes heart disease.
A strange sensation sends you into two hours of Googling.
You seek reassurance.
Feel better.
Then another sensation appears.
And the cycle starts again.
The answer isn’t simply:
“Stop worrying.”
Health anxiety often involves patterns of attention, interpretation, checking and reassurance that can be worked with therapeutically.
Anxiety Connected With Trauma
For some people, anxiety doesn’t seem random at all.
It may make complete sense in the context of what has happened to them.
After frightening, overwhelming or traumatic experiences, your nervous system can become highly alert to signs of danger.
You may notice:
- Hypervigilance
- Feeling easily startled
- Panic
- Intrusive memories
- Avoidance
- Feeling unsafe even when you’re objectively safe
- Strong physical reactions to reminders of the past
- Difficulty trusting people or situations
When anxiety is closely connected with trauma or disturbing past experiences, trauma-focused therapies such as EMDR may be particularly relevant.
EMDR
What About OCD?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is not simply being tidy, organised or liking things done a particular way.
OCD involves recurring intrusive thoughts, images or urges and repetitive behaviours or mental rituals performed to reduce distress or prevent feared outcomes.
It requires specific assessment and evidence-based treatment.
If intrusive thoughts or compulsive behaviours are a major part of what you’re experiencing, mention this when booking so you can be directed towards an appropriately skilled clinician.
Can Anxiety Make You Feel Physically Sick?
Absolutely.
Anxiety doesn’t occur exclusively above your neck.
The autonomic nervous system affects your:
- Heart rate
- Breathing
- Digestion
- Muscles
- Temperature
- Attention
- Sleep
So anxiety can genuinely make you feel:
Dizzy.
Nauseous.
Shaky.
Breathless.
Tense.
Hot.
Exhausted.
Or like your heart is trying to escape your chest.
Those symptoms are real.
But physical symptoms shouldn’t always be automatically labelled anxiety either.
If symptoms are new, severe or unusual, medical assessment may be appropriate.
Anxiety and Your Gut
Your digestive and nervous systems communicate continuously.
Anxiety can influence gut movement and sensitivity, which can contribute to:
- Butterflies
- Nausea
- Diarrhoea
- Urgency
- Abdominal discomfort
- Changes in appetite
But we don’t make the leap from:
“The gut and brain communicate”
to:
“Your anxiety is caused by bad gut health.”
That’s too simplistic.
If gastrointestinal symptoms are significant in their own right, assess them properly.
Gut & Digestive Health
Anxiety and Sleep
Anxiety loves 2am.
Everything is quiet.
There are no distractions.
And suddenly your brain would like to review:
Every mistake you’ve made since 1997.
Tomorrow’s schedule.
Your finances.
A weird thing someone said six days ago.
And whether the house insurance definitely renewed.
Poor sleep then makes emotional regulation and anxiety harder the next day.
And congratulations – we have ourselves a loop.
Treatment may therefore look at both the anxiety itself and the habits or circumstances affecting sleep.
Anxiety and Muscle Tension
Anxiety can show up physically as tension through the:
- Jaw
- Neck
- Shoulders
- Chest
- Back
You may clench your jaw without realising it.
Hold your breath.
Lift your shoulders.
Develop headaches.
This doesn’t mean treating muscle tension treats the anxiety disorder itself.
But physical tension can be part of the overall picture.
Jaw Pain & TMJ
Headaches & Migraines
What Is Avoidance – and Why Does It Make Anxiety Worse?
Imagine you’re anxious about driving on a freeway.
So you avoid it.
Immediately:
Relief.
Your brain learns:
“Excellent. We escaped danger.”
Next time, the freeway feels even more threatening.
So you avoid it again.
Over time, anxiety starts making decisions for you.
The same process can happen around:
- Social situations
- Driving
- Flying
- Public speaking
- Leaving home
- Medical appointments
- Exercise
- Particular places
- Situations associated with panic
Effective anxiety treatment often involves gradually helping people move towards what fear has taught them to avoid, rather than endlessly arranging life around the anxiety.
How Is Anxiety Assessed?
You don’t need a formal diagnosis before seeking support.
But if anxiety is persistent or significantly affecting your life, assessment can help clarify what you’re experiencing and what treatment may be most appropriate.
A mental health professional may ask about:
- What you’re worrying about
- How long symptoms have been present
- Physical symptoms
- Panic
- Avoidance
- Sleep
- Mood
- Trauma history
- Alcohol or drug use
- How symptoms affect work, relationships and daily life
A regular GP may also consider whether medical factors could be contributing to anxiety-like symptoms.
What Treatments Can Help Anxiety?
Anxiety is treatable.
And treatment doesn’t necessarily mean learning how to never feel anxious again.
The goal is usually to reduce the intensity and frequency of unhelpful anxiety, change the patterns keeping it going, and help you regain the parts of your life that fear has started controlling.
At The Urban Alchemist, the strongest pathways for anxiety are Psychology and EMDR.
Acupuncture and Hypnotherapy are available as complementary options for people interested in those approaches.
Psychology for Anxiety
Psychology is our strongest first-line pathway for many anxiety presentations.
A psychologist can assess what you’re experiencing and use evidence-based psychological approaches tailored to your symptoms and goals.
Depending on the presentation, therapy may explore:
- Catastrophic thinking
- Worry
- Avoidance
- Panic
- Reassurance seeking
- Perfectionism
- Fear of uncertainty
- Social anxiety
- Health anxiety
- Behavioural patterns that maintain fear
Approaches may include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, exposure-based strategies and other evidence-informed methods.
The goal isn’t to convince you that every anxious thought is stupid.
It’s to help those thoughts carry less power over your decisions.
Psychology
Learn more about Psychology
EMDR for Anxiety
EMDR – Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing – is best known as a trauma therapy.
For people whose anxiety is strongly linked to disturbing memories, traumatic experiences, panic associated with particular events or situations, or deeply learned fear responses, EMDR may be an important treatment option.
Rather than relying only on talking about an experience, EMDR uses a structured process involving bilateral stimulation while working with distressing memories, beliefs, emotions and body sensations.
The aim is to help the brain process memories that continue to feel highly charged or threatening.
EMDR may be particularly relevant where anxiety involves:
- Trauma
- Distressing past events
- Strong triggers
- Hypervigilance
- Panic connected to particular experiences
- Persistent fear despite intellectually knowing you’re safe
- Reactions that feel much bigger than the current situation
Not every anxious person needs EMDR.
If your anxiety is primarily driven by generalised worry, social fears or everyday avoidance without a significant trauma component, Psychology using other evidence-based approaches may be a more natural starting point.
But where the past seems to keep intruding into the present, EMDR can offer a different way of working.
EMDR
Learn more about EMDR
Acupuncture for Anxiety and Stress
Some people choose acupuncture as complementary support during periods of anxiety, stress or nervous-system overload.
Acupuncture appointments offer a body-based approach that many people find calming and restorative.
Some people report feeling more settled, physically relaxed or better able to slow down following treatment.
We position acupuncture as supportive care rather than a substitute for psychological treatment where someone has a significant anxiety disorder.
In other words:
It may help your body feel less wound up.
But we wouldn’t claim acupuncture alone will resolve complex panic, trauma or entrenched anxiety patterns.
Acupuncture
Learn more about Acupuncture
Hypnotherapy for Anxiety
Hypnotherapy uses a state of focused attention and relaxation to work with thoughts, emotional responses, habits and patterns that may be difficult to shift through conscious effort alone.
Some people choose hypnotherapy for anxiety because they want an approach that feels different from traditional talk therapy.
It may be used to work with:
- Anxiety
- Confidence
- Specific fears
- Stress responses
- Habits
- Emotional reactions
- Situations that repeatedly trigger anxiety
Hypnotherapy isn’t the strongest evidence-based first-line treatment for every anxiety disorder, so we don’t oversell it.
But for someone drawn to this style of therapy, it may be a useful complementary or alternative pathway depending on their presentation.
Hypnotherapy
Learn more about Hypnotherapy
Which Is Better for Anxiety – Psychology or EMDR?
It depends on what is driving your anxiety.
Psychology may be the strongest starting point when your main difficulties involve:
- Excessive worry
- Panic
- Social anxiety
- Health anxiety
- Avoidance
- Perfectionism
- Reassurance seeking
- Difficulty tolerating uncertainty
EMDR may be particularly worth considering when your anxiety appears strongly connected with:
- Trauma
- Disturbing memories
- A frightening event
- Specific triggers
- Hypervigilance
- Panic rooted in previous experiences
- Feeling unsafe despite knowing intellectually that the danger has passed
There is also overlap.
Some therapists integrate multiple approaches.
You don’t need to choose perfectly before your first appointment.
If you’re unsure, contact our team on (03) 9347 9247 and we’ll help you identify the most sensible starting point.
What About Medication for Anxiety?
Medication is an appropriate treatment option for some people.
For certain anxiety conditions, antidepressant medicines or other medications may be recommended by a GP or psychiatrist, sometimes alongside psychological therapy.
Medication isn’t necessary for everybody.
And taking medication doesn’t mean you’ve failed to manage anxiety naturally.
If you’re considering medication or need prescription management, speak with your regular GP or psychiatrist.
Our Holistic GP service does not prescribe medicines and is not the appropriate service for routine Mental Health Care Plans or anxiety medication management.
Can I Get a Mental Health Care Plan?
Potentially, yes.
Mental Health Treatment Plans are arranged through your regular GP and can provide Medicare rebates for eligible sessions with certain mental health professionals.
Our Holistic GP does not provide Mental Health Care Plans, so please see your usual GP for this service.
You can also access many of our mental health services privately without a referral.
What Can I Do When Anxiety Hits?
When you’re very anxious, trying to intellectually defeat every thought may not work particularly well.
Start somewhere simpler.
You might try:
- Slowing your breathing
- Grounding yourself in the present environment
- Allowing sensations to rise and fall rather than immediately fighting them
- Moving your body
- Talking to someone you trust
- Eating regularly
- Reducing caffeine if it intensifies symptoms
- Prioritising sleep
- Reducing alcohol or substances used to switch off
- Returning attention to what is actually happening rather than every imagined outcome
These strategies can help manage symptoms.
But if your life has become organised around managing anxiety, coping tools alone may not be enough.
Treatment can help you work on the pattern underneath.
When Should I Seek Professional Help?
Consider professional support if:
- Anxiety is affecting your work
- You’re avoiding more situations
- Panic attacks are occurring
- Worry feels impossible to switch off
- Your sleep is significantly affected
- Anxiety is interfering with relationships
- Physical anxiety symptoms dominate your day
- You repeatedly need reassurance
- You’re using alcohol or substances to calm yourself
- Your world is becoming smaller because of fear
- You’re simply tired of managing it alone
You don’t need to be completely incapacitated before your anxiety is “bad enough” for treatment.
When Anxiety Becomes a Crisis
Anxiety can become extremely distressing.
And sometimes severe anxiety exists alongside depression, hopelessness or suicidal thinking.
If you are in immediate danger or at immediate risk of harming yourself, call Triple Zero (000) or attend your nearest emergency department.
For immediate crisis support in Australia, Lifeline is available on 13 11 14.
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts but are not in immediate danger, seek prompt support from your regular GP, mental health professional or crisis service.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anxiety
Is anxiety normal?
Yes.
Everybody experiences anxiety sometimes.
It becomes more concerning when it is persistent, difficult to control, disproportionate to the situation or interfering with ordinary life.
Can anxiety cause physical symptoms?
Yes.
Anxiety can affect heart rate, breathing, digestion, muscle tension, sleep and many other physical systems.
However, new or unusual symptoms should not automatically be attributed to anxiety.
Can anxiety cause panic attacks?
Yes.
Panic attacks involve intense episodes of fear accompanied by strong physical sensations.
Repeated panic attacks and fear of future attacks may develop into panic disorder.
Can anxiety come from trauma?
Absolutely.
Some people develop anxiety, hypervigilance, panic or avoidance after traumatic or overwhelming experiences.
When anxiety is strongly linked to unresolved memories or triggers, trauma-focused therapies such as EMDR may be appropriate.
EMDR
What is EMDR?
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing.
It is a structured psychological therapy originally developed for trauma-related conditions and involves working with distressing memories while using bilateral stimulation such as guided eye movements.
EMDR
Can EMDR help anxiety?
EMDR may be useful when anxiety is closely linked with traumatic experiences, distressing memories, specific triggers or strongly conditioned fear responses.
It isn’t necessarily the most appropriate first-line therapy for every anxiety presentation.
Can psychology help panic attacks?
Yes.
Psychological therapy is one of the main treatments for panic disorder and can help people understand panic sensations, reduce fear of those sensations and gradually stop organising life around avoiding future attacks.
Psychology
Can acupuncture help anxiety?
Some people use acupuncture as complementary support for stress and anxiety and find the treatment calming or physically relaxing.
We would not position acupuncture as a replacement for psychological treatment where anxiety is severe or significantly affecting everyday life.
Acupuncture
Can hypnotherapy help anxiety?
Some people choose hypnotherapy to work with anxiety, specific fears, confidence or emotional patterns.
It may be particularly appealing to people who prefer a more experiential approach rather than relying entirely on conventional talk therapy.
Hypnotherapy
Psychology or hypnotherapy – which should I choose?
For persistent anxiety disorders, panic, social anxiety or significant impairment, Psychology is generally the stronger evidence-based starting point.
Hypnotherapy may be a complementary option or a pathway for people specifically drawn to that approach.
Psychology or EMDR – which should I choose?
If your anxiety is primarily excessive worry, avoidance, panic or social anxiety, Psychology may be the natural first step.
If your anxiety seems closely connected to trauma, disturbing memories or powerful triggers, EMDR may be worth considering.
If you’re unsure, we can help you choose.
Do I need medication for anxiety?
Not necessarily.
Many people benefit from psychological treatment alone.
For some people, medication is also helpful.
Discuss medication with your regular GP or psychiatrist.
Can I get a Mental Health Care Plan?
Yes, if eligible, through your regular GP.
Our Holistic GP does not provide Mental Health Care Plans.
How do I know who to book?
If you want evidence-based assessment and treatment for persistent anxiety, worry, panic or avoidance, Psychology is the strongest starting point.
If anxiety is strongly connected with trauma, disturbing memories or specific triggers, consider EMDR.
If you’re looking for supportive body-based care to help with stress and physiological tension, Acupuncture may appeal.
If you’re specifically interested in working with anxiety through focused relaxation, suggestion and subconscious patterns, Hypnotherapy may be worth exploring.
And if you genuinely have no idea, contact reception on (03) 9347 9247.
You don’t need to diagnose yourself or pick the perfect therapy acronym before you’re allowed to ask for help.
Anxiety Treatment & Support in Carlton North, Melbourne
Anxiety has a nasty habit of convincing you that the safest strategy is:
Think more.
Prepare more.
Check again.
Avoid the thing.
Get reassurance.
Control everything.
Unfortunately, a life organised entirely around preventing anxiety tends to become increasingly organised by anxiety.
There is another way.
At The Urban Alchemist in Carlton North, our main anxiety treatment pathways include Psychology and EMDR, with Acupuncture and Hypnotherapy available as complementary approaches depending on your needs and preferences.
The goal isn’t to promise that you’ll never feel anxious again.
Anxiety is part of being human.
The goal is for fear and worry to stop making so many of your decisions.