Do you find yourself constantly in a state of anxiety for no specific reason? It's as if your brain wants to think about everything and everyone. It could be that you suffer from the condition that experts call “free-floating anxiety.” It is a term used by the American Psychological Association which defines free-floating anxiety as "a constant, diffuse sense of anxiety and fear that is without a focus on a particular circumstance or item."

Free-floating anxiety is generally referred to as the feeling of constant worry or anxiousness without any specific cause. Sometimes, this anxiety is generalized and unrelated. In other words, it could be that you be anxious and worried without an apparent reason. Because these emotions appear without warning and not being triggered by any specific trigger, you may have a difficult time predicting or controlling these emotions. You might experience anxiety without having a reason. While it's not a specific diagnosis, free-floating anxiety usually occurs in conjunction with generalized anxiety disorder. Seek Online Counselling with the best “Clinical Psychologist near me” for anxiety counselling.

Free Floating Anxiety vs. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Although many of the symptoms of free-floating anxiety and GAD overlap, there are a few key distinctions. To be diagnosed with GAD, one is required to experience constant anxiety for at minimum six months. However, there is no duration for free-floating anxiety. 

People suffering from GAD typically encounter difficulties at work, school, or in social relationships. They also may suffer from different mental health problems. Free-floating anxiety is usually the most prominent sign of GAD. However, the existence of anxiety that is free-floating is not a guarantee of an identifiable type of anxiety.

Free-Floating Anxiety Signs

Free-floating anxiety may feel different for every person. The feelings don't have any specific cause and can appear at any moment. The symptoms of anxiety can vary in severity and duration. Anybody can suffer from free-floating anxiety, however, it's more frequent among people who have been diagnosed with anxiety disorders.

Some of the symptoms of anxiety resulting from free-floating are:

• Confusion
• Poor concentration
• Irritability
• Feeling tensed or angry
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Trembling
• Panic
• Dread
• Trouble concentrating
• Unrest
• Heart rate increase
• Sweating
• Racing thoughts
• Nightmares
• Stress
• Jitters
• Nervousness
• Muscle tightness
• Negative self-talk

What causes Free-floating Anxiety?

One explanation for free-floating anxiety could be that these signs were previously caused by a specific trigger circumstance or event, however, that trigger and the present feelings do not have any connection anymore. It's like an iceberg that has broken free from an ice cap. It is now completely free and is now floating unattached and is threatening your sanity.

Anxiety could be caused by traumas from several months, or even years ago that are not an immediate danger or threat in your life, yet creates negative thinking patterns that will recur in your everyday life. In particular, you may be suffering from anxiety when you were abused as a kid or have been a witness to abuse at home. Although you're no longer living in an abusive setting, the signs of anxiety could still be present in your everyday life.

Treatment Available

The positive side is that free-floating anxiety is often responsive to the treatment recommended to treat anxiety disorder. These treatments may require many particular techniques, but they can be broken down into three broad categories which are therapy, medication, and lifestyle adjustments.

• Therapy

The treatment for anxiety is an effective and effective method of treatment. If it is combined with other treatments, it is able to provide many of the most beneficial outcomes for your well-being and mental well-being. Research suggests that cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is among the most effective types of treatment in the treatment of anxiety problems of every kind. The ability to control these negative or anxiety-related thoughts is the first step to making the control they exert over you to be a thing of the past.

• Medication

There are many different kinds of anxiety medications or pharmacological therapies, but among the ones most commonly used are antidepressants. Antidepressants, such as SSRIs are thought to be the first-line treatments for anxiety problems. They help to regulate your brain's chemistry and regulate the levels of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin that are linked with mental illness.

However, If SSRIs aren't working for you or if the negative effects of these medicines can negatively impact your health you should consult your doctor or the psychiatrist who is near to you.

• Healthy lifestyle changes to deal with anxiety and free-floating stress:

1. Practice Mindfulness

2. Use Progressive Muscle Relaxation

3. Connect with Nature

4. Make sure you are aware of negative self-talk

5. Think about the things you're grateful for.

6. Exercise Regularly

7. Create a Scheduled Time to Worry about things

8. Follow a Schedule

Anxiety can exacerbate in the absence of others. Try reaching for loved ones frequently and spending time with those who can make you feel secure and at ease. You can also get assistance from Online Counsellors and the Best Therapist in India and other mental health professionals and have an Online Counselling session.

Contribution by: Dr (Prof) R K Suri, Best Clinical Psychologist & Life Coach & Mr. Utkarsh Yadav, Counselling Psychologist