When Anxiety Feels Out of Control: How to Know What Really Helps

Sometimes anxiety can feel like it has taken over. It can show up as constant worrying thoughts, sudden panic, physical symptoms, avoidance, or a feeling that you’ve lost control of your own reactions.

Many people here in Ely or Newmarket tell me how anxiety can feel completely out of control – even when everything around them looks normal.

In my anxiety therapy in Ely and Newmakret, people with anxiety and panic often tell me how they feel out of control. It can stop you doing things because there will be things outside of your control. And as well as external things, some people think they are going crazy because they can’t calm their own feelings and calm their own thinking.

Anxiety brings unpleasant physical symptoms such as feeling shaky, restless and tense. Your chest feels tight and your heart races.

You get that sense of dread before you do things and your mind races through all the worst cases. Your mind jumps from one imagined catastrophe to the next. Even when you feel okay, you still feel anxious because you know your anxiety is still lurking and could strike again at any time. You start to worry about feeling anxious.

Your confidence plummets, your sleep is broken and you feel fraught and exhausted.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone – and the most important thing is knowing that anxiety can be helped. The next step is understanding what tends to make the biggest difference.

 

Anxiety is not a personal failure

Anxiety isn’t a sign of weakness. In many cases it’s just a learned pattern of the nervous system – a system that has become used to staying on high alert. Over time, the body can begin responding as if threat is still present, even when it isn’t.

This can leave you feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and frustrated that you can’t simply ‘switch it off’.

Common physical anxiety symptoms may include:

• Chest tightness

• Racing heartbeat

• Tension and restlessness

• Exhaustion even without activity

It’s like you can’t control your own mind and body anymore.

Anxiety comes in many forms so you may want to learn more about anxiety if it feels out of control. 

 

When anxiety feels out of control, what actually helps?

A common question people ask is:

‘What will genuinely help – not just in the moment, but longer-term?’

Here are approaches many people find effective:

1) Understanding nervous system patterns

When you understand why your body reacts the way it does, anxiety often becomes less frightening. This can reduce the fear around symptoms and help you feel more in control.

2) Psychological approaches (anxiety therapy)

Therapy can be helpful for exploring the beliefs, emotions, and behavioural patterns that keep anxiety going. For many people, having a safe space to make sense of what’s happening is an important part of recovery.

3) Mind–body approaches (like hypnotherapy)

Hypnotherapy-based support focuses on calming the nervous system directly – not only the thoughts around anxiety. Many people find it helps reduce baseline tension and reactivity, so anxiety becomes less intense and easier to manage.

 

Calming the nervous system isn’t forcing calm

It’s very common to be told: ‘Try to relax’, ‘Stop overthinking’, or ‘Just be positive. While well intentioned, anxiety isn’t a logic problem – it’s a nervous system problem.

Emotions, like anxiety, will always take dominance over clear and rational thinking. The more anxious you feel, the harder it is to think logically. This is due to how your mind and body work when a threat is perceived.

Approaches that help your body feel calm and safe again (rather than battling anxiety through willpower) are often more sustainable

 

If you’re in Ely or Newmarket

In my anxiety therapy in Ely and Newmarket, I help people feel calmer, more in control, and supported – whether they’re searching for anxiety therapy near me in Ely or want personalised help to manage anxious patterns.

If anxiety has started to feel overwhelming and you’d like calm, personalised support, you can read more here:

Anxiety therapy and hypnotherapy in Ely & Newmarket (what to expect)

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can anxiety really be calmed?

Yes. Anxiety patterns can reduce with the right support, especially when the nervous system is helped to settle and learn new responses. You learn how to take back control over your own thoughts and feelings, rather than being controlled by anxiety.

Is hypnotherapy the same as therapy?

Therapy and hypnotherapy are different approaches – therapy often focuses on thoughts and behaviour, while hypnotherapy works directly with the nervous system — and many people find that combining these can help them feel more supported overall. I use both to help you get the best results, quickly and sustainably.

What if other approaches haven’t worked?

Many people find that combining understanding with nervous system work creates deeper, more lasting change – especially when anxiety has become physical or automatic.

 

A calm next step

Anxiety doesn’t have to feel uncontrollable. If you’re based in Ely or Newmarket, you’re welcome to book a free consultation to talk things through and explore what might help next.

Learn more: Anxiety therapy and hypnotherapy in Ely

Free Consultation — Explore Options Without Pressure
Calm, confidential support for anxiety in Ely & Newmarket.

To your health and happiness,

Dan Regan

Anxiety Hypnotherapy in Ely and Newmarket

 

Could you use some help with anxiety in Ely, Newmarket or Online? Struggling with anxiety, stress, worry and fear and need some help? Find out how I can help with a Free, no pressure, relaxed consultation: Contact Dan

Find out what hundreds of other people have said after their anxiety hypnotherapy sessions with Dan: Hypnotherapy Testimonials

And check out these popular and powerful hypnosis downloads that can start helping you right away with anxiety, confidence and more: Hypnosis Downloads