Resources · Anxiety

Anxiety Resources & Support

Anxiety is common, and it can feel enormous when you are in it. This guide explains what anxiety can feel like, offers tools for hard moments, and shows where to turn for support, including in Greenville and Eastern North Carolina.

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What is anxiety?

Anxiety is your body’s alarm system. A little of it is normal and even useful: it helps you prepare for a test, notice danger or care about the outcome of something that matters.

It becomes something worth getting support for when it is persistent, distressing, hard to control or starts to interfere with sleep, work, school, relationships or things you enjoy. Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people seek therapy, and it responds well to support for many people.

Reading about anxiety can help you understand what you are experiencing, but only a qualified professional can tell you what is going on for you. This page is meant to inform, not to diagnose.

What can anxiety feel like?

Anxiety shows up differently for everyone. Here are some common ways, grouped by where you might notice it.

  • Thoughts

    Persistent worrying, racing thoughts, expecting something to go wrong, replaying conversations, difficulty concentrating.

  • Emotions

    Fear, dread, irritability, feeling on edge, overwhelmed or unable to relax.

  • Physical sensations

    Tension, a racing heart, sweating, stomach discomfort, dizziness, trouble sleeping, feeling shaky or tired.

  • Behaviors

    Avoiding things, seeking reassurance, procrastinating, withdrawing, over-preparing or checking again and again.

A note on physical symptoms. A racing heart, chest tightness, dizziness and stomach trouble can have many causes, including medical ones. Do not assume symptoms are anxiety. If you are worried about your health, or symptoms are new or severe, talk with a medical provider. If you have chest pain or trouble breathing and think it may be an emergency, call 911.

Types of anxiety experiences

People talk about anxiety in a lot of different shapes. These descriptions are for orientation only. They are not a checklist for diagnosing yourself, and it is common for experiences to overlap.

  • Generalized anxiety

    Ongoing worry about many things, often with tension, restlessness and trouble sleeping.

  • Panic

    Sudden waves of intense fear with strong physical sensations, sometimes with worry about having another one.

  • Social anxiety

    Intense worry about being judged or embarrassed in social or performance situations.

  • Specific fears and phobias

    Strong fear of a particular thing or situation, such as flying, heights, needles or animals.

  • Health anxiety

    Persistent worry about illness, body sensations or test results, even after reassurance.

  • Work anxiety

    Worry about performance, deadlines, conflict or job security. Our post on managing anxiety in the aviation industry is one example.

  • School anxiety

    Test worries, fear of failure or dread about school days, for students of any age.

  • Relationship anxiety

    Fear of rejection or abandonment, or constant worry about where you stand with someone.

  • Anxiety around life transitions

    Stress about big changes such as moving, a new job, parenthood, loss or retirement.

Panic attacks

A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear that usually peaks within minutes. It can bring a pounding heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, shaking, numbness or tingling, a feeling of unreality, or a fear that you are losing control or dying.

It feels frightening because the body is reacting as if there is danger, even when there is none you can point to. Panic attacks are very uncomfortable, and they pass. Many people find it helpful to remind themselves, “This is a wave. It will crest and fall.”

What can help in the moment is slowing your breathing, grounding yourself in the room around you and staying where you feel safe until the wave passes. The tools in the next section are a good starting point.

When to get a medical check. If this is your first panic attack, if symptoms are unusual for you, or if you have chest pain or trouble breathing, it makes sense to see a medical provider to rule out other causes.

What can help with anxiety?

There is no single treatment that works for everyone. Many people use a combination, and what helps can change over time.

  • Psychotherapy (talk therapy). Working with a therapist to understand what drives your anxiety and to practice new ways of responding.
  • Cognitive behavioral approaches. Looking at how thoughts, feelings and actions feed each other and building skills to change unhelpful cycles. The National Institute of Mental Health describes how CBT and other treatments are used for anxiety (opens in a new tab).
  • Acceptance-based approaches. Learning to make room for uncomfortable feelings while still doing what matters to you.
  • Medication evaluation. For some people, a medical provider such as a psychiatrist or primary care doctor may recommend medication as part of a plan. This is a conversation to have with them.
  • Sleep. Regular, sufficient sleep makes anxiety easier to manage.
  • Movement. Walking, stretching or any movement you enjoy can help release tension.
  • Connection. Talking with someone you trust, or joining a support group, can reduce isolation.
  • Cutting back on things that worsen symptoms when relevant, such as heavy caffeine or alcohol.
  • Everyday stress care. Breaks, boundaries, time outside and small moments of calm. Our post on micro mindfulness offers gentle ideas.

What can I do when anxiety spikes?

These are coping tools, not cures. Try one or two and see what helps. Different things work on different days.

  1. Orient to the room

    Look around slowly. Name five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear. It reminds your body you are here, now.

  2. Slow your breathing

    Breathe in gently through your nose, then out slowly through your mouth, making the exhale longer than the inhale. A few rounds is enough.

  3. Release tension

    Notice where you are holding it, often jaw, shoulders or hands. Loosen and drop them on an exhale.

  4. Reduce stimulation

    Lower the lights, mute notifications or step away from noise, if you can.

  5. Name what is happening

    Try, “This is anxiety. It is uncomfortable, and I am safe.” Naming it can loosen its grip.

  6. Reach out

    Text or call someone supportive, even just to say you are having a hard moment.

  7. Move somewhere quieter

    If it helps, go outside, to another room or somewhere calmer until the wave passes.

If these tools do not help, or anxiety is your daily companion, that is a good sign that more support could make a difference.

Anxiety and therapy

In therapy for anxiety, you and your therapist might work on:

  • Understanding your patterns, triggers and what your anxiety is trying to protect you from
  • Learning ways to calm your body and slow your thoughts
  • Gradually facing situations you have been avoiding, at a pace you control
  • Looking at worries and beliefs that are not serving you
  • Working through past experiences that keep your system on alert
  • Building routines for sleep, stress and self-care

New to therapy? Our Starting Therapy guide explains what to expect.

Looking for support with anxiety?

These Origins clinicians list anxiety as a focus area on their profiles, and are currently accepting or have limited availability.

See all clinicians who work with anxiety · Find a therapist

Greenville and Eastern North Carolina support

Support for anxiety comes in many forms. These organizations can help you find care, connect with peers or talk with someone today.

  • ECU Health Behavioral Health (opens in a new tab)

    Greenville

    Outpatient psychiatry and therapy in Greenville, including diagnostic evaluations, medication management and psychotherapy. Call to ask about establishing care.

    Phone
    252-744-1406Outpatient clinic
    Address
    905 Johns Hopkins Drive, Greenville, NC 27834

    Verified September 2026

  • NAMI Pitt County (opens in a new tab)

    Pitt County

    Free peer and family support groups, education and referrals run by volunteers, serving Pitt and Beaufort counties. The information line is not a crisis line.

    Phone
    252-717-9600Information line: 252-600-3815 (not a crisis line)
    Address
    101 W 14th St, Greenville, NC 27834

    Verified September 2026

  • Trillium Health Resources (opens in a new tab)

    Eastern NC

    The public behavioral health plan for many eastern North Carolina counties, including Pitt. Call to talk through what you need and how to get connected to mental health, substance use or developmental disability services. Trillium also runs a Medicaid Tailored Plan.

    Phone
    1-877-685-2415Access to Care line, 24/7

    Verified September 2026

  • NC 211 (opens in a new tab)

    North Carolina

    A free, confidential way to find local help of many kinds: counseling, food, housing, transportation, utilities and more. A community resource specialist listens and connects you with options near you.

    Phone
    211Or 888-892-1162. 24/7, most languages.

    Verified September 2026

Crisis support

When anxiety becomes a crisis

If you are thinking about harming yourself, if you are worried you might not be safe, or if a moment feels like too much to handle alone, please reach out. You do not need to be sure it is “bad enough.”

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911.

Origins Counseling & Wellness is not an emergency or crisis service. If you are a client, please use the resources above outside of business hours or when you need help right away.

From the Journal

Articles on anxiety and stress

Terms you may come across

Browse the full glossary

You do not have to manage it alone

Talk with someone who can help

Browse clinicians, or book a free 15-minute consultation to see whether we are a good fit.

Find a therapistBook a consult (opens in a new tab)

Keep exploring

  • Starting Therapy

    What to expect, how to find the right therapist, understanding credentials and preparing for your first appointment.

  • Mental Health Glossary

    Plain-language explanations of mental health, therapy and North Carolina behavioral-health terms.

Sources & additional reading

This page is general information, not medical or clinical advice, and it does not replace care from a qualified professional. Last reviewed September 26, 2026.