Why Am I Anxious? A Quick Assessment

Understand anxiety's root causes with therapist Emma McAdam's quick assessment—identify triggers and learn effective strategies for managing anxiety symptoms.
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Anxiety is often caused by micro-habits that we don’t even notice but build up over time. So let’s troubleshoot, today we’re going to explore 7 common reasons why someone might feel anxious without realizing the cause. These are the things I might explore with a client in the second session or thereabouts. If you want, you can print off the worksheet that I’m using, and fill it out right now. The link is in the description. As we go through the questions, if you find yourself answering more than 4 from any category with “Yes”, then that’s a sign to explore that category and to try the skills and free resources that I’ll share in the worksheet.

00:00 Intro
00:51 Worry
01:52 Body
02:50 Overload
03:55 Avoidance
04:49 Trauma
06:36 Catastrophizing

Click the link below to access the transcript.

But first a disclaimer. Though I wish I could get to know each of you, I am not your therapist and this is not a formal assessment. It’s just a chance to explore your anxiety. Let’s jump in.

Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

[angelsrain]

I am aware that you are not my therapist but I want you to know that i appreciate all this you do, because it helps big time. Thank you for this

[SusanVivian-gl]

This intriguing video serves as a poignant reminder of the heartache I've been enduring since my 7 year relationship came to an end 3 months ago. My cherished partner, the love of my life, made the difficult decision to part ways, leaving me consumed by thoughts of him. Despite my earnest attempts to win him back, I find myself facing frustration and an overwhelming sense of emptiness, unable to envision a life without his presence. Despite my efforts to move on, I'm compelled to confess my lingering feelings and longing for him here.

[nate-mvh]

This video is really great. Unfortunately, my answering, yes, to absolutely every single question in every single category, led to anxiety.

[chuahpingisobsessedwithme]

It’s like even when I think I’ve calmed down and feeling relaxed. my anxiety whispers, “But what if…?”

[amdzatam]

I am a healthcare provider and I really find your videos extremely helpful! You really have a distinguish talent in providing information yet simple and easy to grasp! Keep the good work!

[jazzsoul]

I love her, she's great! Much more supportive than my family !

[lorrainajacobsen]

I want to hear more on what it means to "intellectualize instead of feeling your emotions"

Btw this vid was a literal Godsend thank you🙏

[heyhey-dlif]

I absolutelly nailed those 7 questions at the start
1. yes
2. yes
3. yes
4. yes
5. yes
6. yes
7. yes

Oh yeah, 7 out of 7, perfect score... oh, wait a minute!

[anonymous-jd]

I love your channel. Your videos make me understand why and how I suffered from severe depression, anxiety and OCD. Nobody (not even my doctor and therapist) ever explained these to me. Thank you❤

[mlouw]

Very clearly laid out. It makes sense why I don’t feel good, but so hard to change all those anxiety producing habits 🤦‍♀️

[rachaelgalvez]

I love how the download on the description includes everything in this video plus a bunch of links to helpful stuff for each kind of anxiety. Thanks!

[FlowToWorship]

I just want to thank you for your channel and content that I found 3-4 years ago when I was grieving the death of 17 y/o nephew and my dad who passed a month later after him. So thank you.

[MrsBee-uolc]

Thank you. I needed this and the timing was perfect. You have no idea how many people you are helping. Blessings and love to everyone.

[KatEtoile]

The way this was uploaded during my anxiety attack 😂

[turquoisetacos]

while watching this i started to realize that while in the past i mightve said yes to about 95% of these, i currently can only confidently say yes to about half (with some 'yes's becoming 'maybe's and 'sometimes')! i've been putting a lot of work into unpacking my anxieties and im starting to really see how much progress ive made, thank you for laying this out so clearly!

[Voguemama]

Im so glad at how much your channel has grown! When I was struggling mentally during 2020 I found your channel during that time. I felt like I was really losing it. Your videos really helped me so much. I would recommend your channel and videos whenever I could, even ti strangers online. God bless you and thank you for the time and effort you put into your videos, THANK YOU!!

[luisdelpozo]

Thanks for your care about others like me, recovering off clinical burnout in Mexico.

[manofthehour]

Thanks, Emma! Yes, I always understand the disclaimer, and appreciate your effort in trying to help with mental health issues that EVERYONE in the world experiences at one time and magnitude. Part of the problems affecting the country, I suspect, are mental health related. If we can get control of our minds, we can take control of our own lives, not worry or compare to others, or be covetous of their possessions. Thank you for posting these. I have looked through the various videos available and bookmarked a few particularly relevant topics, and feel confident that if I have some sort of unpleasant experience mentally, I can come here to get some techniques to modify ant problematic behavior. Its great to not only have this information, but also presented by someone empathetic and upbeat with a positive attitude of "It can be done!"

[biasedknowledge]

What a powerful exploration of the subtle ways anxiety builds up! The section on avoidance made me think about the ostrich effect, where people avoid information that might cause discomfort, like avoiding bills or stressful conversations. Someone I know used to avoid opening their email because they didn’t want to face bad news. But as you said, avoidance only fuels anxiety in the long run. Your suggestion to face these issues head-on with practical strategies is such valuable advice. Thank you for showing how we can take small steps to overcome this

[suzannebigras]

thank you so very much for all your FREE LINKS
Truly appreciate your kindness in this. ❤