Most of us know what it is like to feel anxious before something stressful: an exam, a difficult conversation, a big change. That kind of anxiety tends to have an edge, a clear cause, and, crucially, an end point. It rises, it does its job, and then it settles again.

But for some people, anxiety won’t go away. It hums in the background of ordinary days, flares without an obvious trigger, and keeps the body braced long after the original worry has passed. If that sounds familiar, you may have already asked yourself a quiet question: is this just how I am, or is this something I could actually get help with?

As a Counselling Psychologist based in York, this is one of the most common turning points I hear about from clients: not a single crisis, but a slow recognition that anxiety has stopped being occasional and started being constant. In this post I want to walk through what that shift can look like, and the signs that suggest professional support might help.

When Anxiety Won’t Go Away: What It Actually Feels Like

Anxiety that has become chronic rarely announces itself. It tends to show up as a collection of smaller signs that build gradually, until one day the pattern is unmistakable.

• A low-level sense of unease or dread that is present even on ordinary, uneventful days
• Physical tension: a tight chest, clenched jaw, restless legs, or a stomach that never fully settles
• Racing or repetitive thoughts, particularly at night, that make it hard to switch off and sleep
• Feeling constantly “on alert”, as though something is about to go wrong even when nothing has
• Avoiding situations, conversations, or decisions simply because they feel too uncomfortable to face
• Relying on constant reassurance, checking, or planning to feel briefly calmer, only for the anxiety to return

Any one of these on its own is a normal part of being human under pressure. It is the combination, and how long it has been going on, that tends to matter more than any single symptom.

Why Anxiety Gets Stuck

Anxiety exists for a good reason: it is the body’s alarm system, designed to keep us safe by scanning for threat. The trouble is that this system is not always accurate. It can become sensitised, firing in response to uncertainty, work pressure, or difficult memories, even when there is no immediate danger.

Once this happens, a self-reinforcing pattern often takes hold. Anxious thoughts trigger physical tension and unease. That discomfort is interpreted as further proof that something is wrong. Avoidance or checking brings brief relief, which teaches the brain that the threat was real and the coping strategy worked, even though it has actually kept the anxiety alive. I go into this cycle in more depth in my piece on how CBT works and what keeps anxiety going, which may be useful background reading alongside this post.

Signs It Might Be Time for Therapy

There is no rule that says anxiety has to reach crisis point before it is worth addressing. In my experience, these are the signals most worth paying attention to.

If two or more of these feel true for you right now, it is a reasonable moment to consider professional support, whether that is a first conversation with your GP or reaching out to a therapist directly.

What Therapy Can Actually Offer

Therapy for anxiety is not about being told to “stop worrying” or to think more positively. A good course of therapy helps you understand your particular pattern of anxiety: what tends to trigger it, what keeps it going, and which of your current coping strategies are helping versus quietly maintaining the cycle.

As a Counselling Psychologist, I draw on a range of evidence-based approaches, often including CBT, to help you build a calmer, more workable relationship with uncertainty and worry. The aim is not to remove anxiety completely, since some anxiety is a normal and even useful part of life, but to bring it back down to a level that does not run the show.

Accessing Support in York

If you are based in York, support for anxiety is available through NHS Talking Therapies, through private psychological therapy, and online. For a fuller comparison of these routes, including how to check a practitioner’s credentials, my guide on finding a therapist in York covers this in detail.

At Sennah Psychology, I offer psychological therapy to adults in York and online, drawing on CBT and other evidence-based approaches suited to anxiety and worry. I am currently on maternity leave and not taking on new therapy clients, but you are warmly welcome to join my waiting list, and I will be in touch as soon as I am able to resume seeing clients.