What Is Free-Floating Anxiety?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsDiagnosisCausesImpactTreatmentCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Diagnosis

Causes

Impact

Treatment

Coping

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Free-floating anxiety is a general sense of uneasiness that is not tied to any particular object or specific situation. The term is often used to describe feelings of discomfort, nervousness, worry, and anxiety that appear for seemingly no reason.

It often occurs withgeneralized anxiety disorder, but it may also be present withother types of anxiety conditions.

It is important to note that free-floating anxiety is not a distinct mental disorder recognized in theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5). Instead, it is a term used to describe the non-specific feelings of anxiety that people sometimes experience from time to time as well as with conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder.

Press Play for Advice on Coping With Anxiety

Diabetes, hyperthyroidism, asthma, chronic pain, andsubstance use disordersare just a few examples of conditions that may play a role in causing anxiety.

Next, your doctor will ask questions about the symptoms you are experiencing, including the nature of the symptoms as well as their frequency, duration, and severity.

Based on your medical history and symptoms, your doctor may then diagnose you with an anxiety disorder such as generalized anxiety disorder,panic disorder,social anxiety disorder, or aspecific phobia.

Causes of Free-Floating Anxiety

The exact causes of the free-floating anxiety that occurs in generalized anxiety disorder are not known. However, a number of different factors are thought to contribute to this condition including:

Approximately 2.7% of adults in the U.S. experienced generalized anxiety disorder in the past year. The condition also tends to be twice as common in women as it is in men.

Impact of Free-Floating Anxiety

Free-floating anxiety can have a number of different effects on a person’s life. All of that worrying can raise a person’s stress levels, which can have a serious impact on overall health. It may make it more difficult to get a restful night’s sleep, which can leave people with feelings of daytime tiredness and fatigue.

Because people with free-floating anxiety spend so much time preoccupied with these general feelings of unease and worry, they have a more difficult time enjoying their lives and experience lower levels of overall life satisfaction and happiness.

Feelings of anxiety can also contribute to other problems including depression, headaches, social withdrawal, substance misuse, relationship problems, and even thoughts of suicide.

Fortunately, there are treatments for anxiety that can be very effective. If your symptoms are interfering with your ability to function normally and are causing significant distress, talk to your doctor. Some of the treatments that your doctor may recommend are listed below.

Psychotherapy

One approach known ascognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)is one of the most effective treatments for generalized anxiety disorder.

CBT focuses on helping people identify the automatic negative thought patterns that contribute to feelings of anxiety. Once they learn to recognize these thoughts, people can then work to replace those patterns with more helpful ones.

The Best Online Therapy ProgramsWe’ve tried, tested and written unbiased reviews of the best online therapy programs including Talkspace, Betterhelp, and Regain.

Medications

Your doctor may also prescribe medications to help you manage your feelings of anxiety.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatment

Coping With Free-Floating Anxiety

While free-floating anxiety can be a sign of a mental health condition such as generalized anxiety disorder, it can also be something that people experience from time to time without having an actual anxiety disorder.

Whether your anxiety is more persistent or if it comes and goes, there are things that you can do to better cope with these feelings.

Some things you can do include:

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments, such asSt. John’s wort, are sometimes used to treat anxiety. Some of these supplements may have serious risks, so you should always talk to your healthcare provider before you try any supplement or alternative treatment. For example, St. John’s wort has the potential to causeserotonin syndromewhen combined with some antidepressants.

A Word From Verywell

Free-floating anxiety can be distressing and may be a sign of an anxiety disorder. If you are having feelings of unease and worry that don’t seem to have a specific cause, talk to your doctor or a mental health professional.

Anxiety often grows worse over time and may eventually lead to avoidance behaviors that can interfere with your life and ability to function. Effective treatments are available, including online therapy options that may allow you to learn how to manage your anxiety using convenient apps, websites, and other online tools.

If you or a loved one are struggling with anxiety, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with anxiety, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.Patriquin MA, Mathew SJ.The neurobiological mechanisms of generalized anxiety disorder and chronic stress.Chronic Stress. 2017;1:247054701770399. doi:10.1177/2470547017703993Gottschalk MG, Domschke K.Genetics of generalized anxiety disorder and related traits.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):159-168. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/kdomschkeNational Institute of Mental Health.Generalized anxiety disorder.Munir S, Takov V.Generalized anxiety disorder. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.Murphy M, Mercer JG.Diet-regulated anxiety.Int J Endocrinol. 2013;2013:701967. doi:10.1155/2013/701967Mikkelsen K, Stojanovska L, Polenakovic M, Bosevski M, Apostolopoulos V.Exercise and mental health.Maturitas. 2017;106:48-56. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.09.003

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.Patriquin MA, Mathew SJ.The neurobiological mechanisms of generalized anxiety disorder and chronic stress.Chronic Stress. 2017;1:247054701770399. doi:10.1177/2470547017703993Gottschalk MG, Domschke K.Genetics of generalized anxiety disorder and related traits.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):159-168. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/kdomschkeNational Institute of Mental Health.Generalized anxiety disorder.Munir S, Takov V.Generalized anxiety disorder. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.Murphy M, Mercer JG.Diet-regulated anxiety.Int J Endocrinol. 2013;2013:701967. doi:10.1155/2013/701967Mikkelsen K, Stojanovska L, Polenakovic M, Bosevski M, Apostolopoulos V.Exercise and mental health.Maturitas. 2017;106:48-56. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.09.003

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.Patriquin MA, Mathew SJ.The neurobiological mechanisms of generalized anxiety disorder and chronic stress.Chronic Stress. 2017;1:247054701770399. doi:10.1177/2470547017703993Gottschalk MG, Domschke K.Genetics of generalized anxiety disorder and related traits.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):159-168. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/kdomschkeNational Institute of Mental Health.Generalized anxiety disorder.Munir S, Takov V.Generalized anxiety disorder. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.Murphy M, Mercer JG.Diet-regulated anxiety.Int J Endocrinol. 2013;2013:701967. doi:10.1155/2013/701967Mikkelsen K, Stojanovska L, Polenakovic M, Bosevski M, Apostolopoulos V.Exercise and mental health.Maturitas. 2017;106:48-56. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.09.003

National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.

Patriquin MA, Mathew SJ.The neurobiological mechanisms of generalized anxiety disorder and chronic stress.Chronic Stress. 2017;1:247054701770399. doi:10.1177/2470547017703993

Gottschalk MG, Domschke K.Genetics of generalized anxiety disorder and related traits.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):159-168. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/kdomschke

National Institute of Mental Health.Generalized anxiety disorder.

Munir S, Takov V.Generalized anxiety disorder. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.

Murphy M, Mercer JG.Diet-regulated anxiety.Int J Endocrinol. 2013;2013:701967. doi:10.1155/2013/701967

Mikkelsen K, Stojanovska L, Polenakovic M, Bosevski M, Apostolopoulos V.Exercise and mental health.Maturitas. 2017;106:48-56. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.09.003

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