Is Anxiety Permanent? Insights from a Licensed Therapist

If you're reading this, you’re probably wondering if anxiety something you’ll have to live with forever. The short answer is no. Anxiety is not a life sentence, and there are hope ways to manage it. There are even ways to overcome the experience of anxiety being a constant in your life.

I’m Halle Thomas, an anxiety therapist for millennial professionals in Boulder, Denver, and Portland. In my practice, I provide holistic anxiety therapy to millennials of all genders.

Why You Might Think Anxiety is Permanent

A lot of people believe anxiety is a permanent state, or a fixed part of their personality, and for good reason! Between differences in lived experience, personal biology, and more, it can be easy to believe that constant anxiety can never be changed. Let’s get into some specifics

Reason 1: Your Lived Experience Might Convince You Anxiety is Permanent

While our brains are incredibly adaptive, they can also get stuck in patterns that don’t feel great. If you've experienced anxiety for a long time, it might feel like an built-in part of who you are. This is especially true if you don’t have many, if any, memories of times where anxiety wasn’t part of your life.

For instance, if you grew up in a household where stress was high and people acted in ways that were dangerous, you might have developed anxiety as a survival mechanism. After all, anxiety can be a natural response to a stressor or a threat.

Reason 2: Biological Misconceptions

There's a common belief that anxiety is purely biological – something hardwired into your genetic makeup that you can't alter. While there is a genetic component to anxiety, this doesn't mean you're destined to be anxious forever. Genetics provide a predisposition, not a predetermined fate.

Recent neurological research has shown that our brains can literally change through practices like therapy, mindfulness, and targeted interventions. Neuroplasticity proves that we have the power to reshape our brain's response to stress and anxiety.

Reason 3: You’re Used to Coping Skills Not Working For You

Coping skills can be great, but they’re not a one-size-fits-all situation. If you haven’t experienced anything that actually helps to reduce your anxiety, of course you might be convinced that anxiety is permanent.

Reason 4: You’re Simply Used to Being Anxious and It’s Oddly Comforting

Some people find a strange comfort in their anxiety. If this is the case for you, but you don’t understand why you feel this way, that’s okay. Think about it this way: your anxiety acts as a familiar companion that influences how you see the world. It’s also likely helped to keep you safe in some situations, but not all. The idea of letting go of anxiety can feel scarier than the anxiety itself.

A Different Way to Think About Anxiety

Anxiety is not a static condition but a dynamic response to stress, environment, and internal experiences. It changes, and sometimes the shifts are subtle. If you’ve lived with anxiety for a long time, sometimes those shifts can go undetected.

Think About Anxiety as a Signal, Not a Life Sentence

Anxiety is your body's alarm system. It's designed to protect you, not to harm you. That being said, sometimes that alarm system can go a bit haywire. When that happens, system becomes overactive, and becomes unreliable at detecting true threats. This doesn't mean that the alarm system is broken beyond repair. It means it needs recalibration and support.

Factors That Can Influence Anxiety

There are many factors that can contribute to anxiety. Even though I can’t touch on them all, I’ll cover a few of the key ones. As a general note, some of these factors can be addressed in a straightforward way, while others are a bit more complex.

Relationships

Having one or more supportive relationships in your life can positively influence the level of anxiety you experience.

Living Environment

A living environment that is suited to your needs can make a huge difference in your anxiety levels. Having privacy, feeling safe, and feeling comfortable are just a few factors that set the stage for a calm living environment.

Sleep

While everyone’s sleep needs can differ, there’s still a basic need for sleep. Aside from basic sleep hygiene, it’s important to note that sleep is one of the first areas I tend to look at when clients come to me reporting high anxiety levels.

Emotional Processing

In general, we live in a culture here in the United States that values being able to bypass many emotions, anxiety included. Unfortunately, bypassing emotions isn’t helpful for your overall emotional health. Learning to understand and process emotions can dramatically change how you experience anxiety.

How To Tell if It’s Time for Professional Support

If your anxiety is getting in the way of your day-to-day life, it might be time to talk to a therapist. You deserve to live a life where you aren’t using up most of your energy just trying to survive your own mind.

I work with clients who are based in Colorado and Oregon. If you’re ready to receive support, reach out to me today for your free consultation call. We’ll talk about what it looks like to work together and get you on the calendar if we’re a good fit for each other!

A Reminder: You Are Not Your Anxiety

Even though anxiety can feel like it’ll be permanent, it doesn’t have to be. It's a complex experience, yes, but it can also be influenced. With the right support and strategies, anxiety can become less of a constant in your life.

Hi! I’m Halle, an Anxiety Therapist in Boulder, Colorado.

I work with millennials who want to trade in self-doubt for self-trust. You can work with me in either 1:1 weekly therapy, or in a therapy intensive.

If you live in either Colorado or Oregon, I’d love to work with you. Book your free intro call to get started!