Do you experience free-floating anxiety and wonder how to put an end to it? A person can have target-specific issues that cause them anxiety, but many find they are constantly anxious without always having an identifiable reason.
Renewal Oasis offers both residential and outpatient programs that address the symptoms of free-floating anxiety. Our licensed and compassionate therapists get to know each person so we can offer them the exact type of structured care they need. We also offer options for prescription medications that help ease the symptoms of anxiety.
What is Free-Floating Anxiety?
Free-floating anxiety causes a person to constantly feel anxious even without a specific reason. It is often a symptom of generalized anxiety disorder, a mental illness, but it can occur outside of it. About 2.7% of U.S. adults had generalized anxiety disorder in the previous year. Free-floating anxiety appears spontaneously without a direct cause and often is a default setting for a person’s emotions. The individual feels uneasy and in fear of things going wrong, no matter the subject. The symptoms are emotionally exhausting and require seeking professional treatment from a mental health counselor or program.
Free-Floating Anxiety Examples
Free-floating anxiety doesn’t have a specific issue a person focuses on. Instead, the anxiousness happens consistently and can cover any situation a person is facing or thinking about. A person may feel constant worry and often think about every way things could possibly go wrong. They even worry about things that are not likely to happen or concern them.
Free-floating anxiety often causes a person to feel unable to relax or enjoy peace of mind. Feeling this way becomes their new normal, and it can affect their mental health and relationships with others.
Symptoms of Free-Floating Anxiety
Someone with free-floating anxiety will experience many types of symptoms that affect how they think, feel, and experience physical health. These symptoms include the following:
Mental Symptoms
- Difficulty thinking clearly
- Trouble concentrating and making decisions
- Often distracted by anxious thoughts and fears
Physical Symptoms
- Headaches
- Body aches
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Insomnia
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
- High blood pressure
- Panic attacks
Emotional Symptoms:
- Constantly feeling restless and on edge
- Mood swings and irritability
- Feeling anxious about everything, even without a recognizable cause
- Overthinking every situation
- Worrying about what others think about the individual’s excessive anxiety
What Causes Free-Floating Anxiety?
As with all mental illnesses, a contributing factor to developing one can be genetics. A family history of anxiety increases the chances that a person will develop it, too. Anxiety can also develop as a result of a person going through challenging life situations and not having healthy coping skills in place to help them problem-solve and self-soothe. Moreover, if they endured childhood abuse, neglect, or other traumatic events, this increases their chances of dealing with free-floating anxiety.
Anxiety can also come from compromised brain chemistry. An inability to produce enough serotonin, which causes a person to feel joy and satisfaction, can cause extreme anxiety.
Is Free-Floating Anxiety a Formal Diagnosis?
Free-floating anxiety is not a formal diagnosis. It is typically a symptom of an anxiety disorder, with generalized anxiety disorder being the most common one. Additionally, it can also occur as a symptom of other types of mental health disorders.
How to Cope With Free-Floating Anxiety
Anyone with free-floating anxiety should seek a diagnosis from their physician or a mental health counselor. The clinician will discuss the length and severity of their symptoms and any history of mental illness to determine if they have an anxiety-related or other type of disorder.
A diagnosis will be followed up by a plan for treatment. This can include either an outpatient or a residential treatment center that treats people with anxiety.
Treatment Options for Free-Floating Anxiety
Someone with free-floating anxiety can benefit from attending therapies that specifically focus on how to reduce anxiety.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is often used to help people with anxiety disorders. This type of therapy helps people understand how their emotions and thoughts directly relate to their actions. From there, they can take steps to feel, think, and act with more positivity and less anxiety.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: This type of therapy teaches people to accept anxiety as a natural part of life and stop reacting in fearful or negative ways.
Mindfulness Therapy: This helps people to learn to relax and stay focused on the present, rather than projecting into the future due to anxious thoughts.
Medications: Many prescription medications offer help in reducing signs of anxiety and are used in treating free-floating anxiety.
Contact Renewal Oasis to Treat Free-Floating Anxiety in Palm Springs, CA
When it comes to treating free-floating anxiety, Renewal Oasis stands above the rest of the mental health treatment center options in California. Moreover, we provide an assessment to help determine which level of care is right for each individual. In addition, each person attends different types of effective therapies in both our residential and outpatient programs. This helps them gain control of their anxiety and employ skills to help diffuse their triggers.
Contact us today and find out how you can stop living a life ruled by anxiety. Our friendly admissions staff will answer any questions you have and put your mind at ease.
Published: 6/24/2025
