Why It Feels Like Your Anxiety Is Getting Worse (Even When You're Healing)

Have you ever found yourself thinking…

“I’m doing everything right. I’m finally showing up, doing the hard things, and facing my fears... so why does my anxiety feel worse?”

If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. As an anxiety coach who’s walked this path and supported thousands of others in healing from panic disorder, agoraphobia, and anxiety, I hear this all the time. It’s one of the most confusing parts of recovery, and one that can cause people to spiral, give up, or convince themselves that healing just isn’t possible for them.

But here’s the truth: Just because you’re feeling more anxiety doesn’t mean you’re going backwards. In fact, that discomfort? It often means you're doing something very right.

In Episode 195 of the A Healthy Push Podcast, I walk you through five key reasons why anxiety can feel worse as you're healing, and how each one is actually a signal that you’re making progress.

Let’s break them down here and dive into why it feels like your anxiety is getting worse even when you're healing, so you can breathe a little easier and reframe what’s happening in your healing journey.

1. You’re Finally Creating Safety in Your Body

When you've been living in survival mode for a long time, your nervous system is stuck in go-go-go, constantly scanning for danger. Once you begin to slow down and make space for healing through rest, support, self-compassion, and healthy/supportive steps, your body finally feels safe enough to start releasing what it's been holding onto.

That release can feel intense. You might cry more. Feel more anxious. Experience more symptoms. But this isn’t a setback, it’s a release.

“It’s a release, not a relapse.”

You’re no longer just surviving. You’re healing, and your system is adjusting to this new experience of safety. Even if it feels overwhelming, this is a really good sign.

2. You’re Becoming More Aware of What Was Already There

One of the most powerful (and uncomfortable) parts of healing is the growing awareness of your thoughts, patterns, emotions, and sensations. You’re no longer suppressing or avoiding everything that felt hard to deal with. You’re tuning in. You’re noticing. And that can feel like everything just got turned up to 100. But it doesn’t mean the symptoms are new, it means you’re finally noticing what was already there. And now that you can see it, you can shift it.

“It’s like turning on the lights in a messy room... it feels overwhelming at first, but now you can clean it up.”

This awareness is essential to healing. It might feel like chaos now, but it’s the first step to clarity and peace.

3. Your Brain Is Adjusting and Rewiring

Change, even good change, feels threatening to your brain. Your brain likes familiar patterns, even if those patterns are unhelpful or painful. So when you start breaking old habits and responding to anxiety in new ways, your brain might start screaming, “Danger! Go back!” This isn’t a sign to stop, it’s a sign you’re rewiring.

“Louder alarms don’t mean real danger. They just mean rewiring is happening.”

You might notice your thoughts becoming more intrusive, your fears feeling louder, or anxiety showing up in new places. That doesn’t mean you’re regressing. It means your brain is trying to pull you back into the old “safe zone.”

Keep showing up. Keep doing the reps. Your brain is learning.

4. You’re Facing Your Fears (Instead of Avoiding Them)

Of course you’re feeling more! You’re doing the hard work of facing the very things you once avoided. Whether it’s driving, traveling, being far from home, or even feeling your own bodily sensations, you’re showing up. You’re not numbing, shrinking, or playing small. You’re doing brave, uncomfortable things. And yes, your nervous system will respond to that discomfort.

“Facing fear doesn’t feel good right away. It often feels scary, messy, and uncertain... but it means you’re healing.”

This is the part of recovery that’s full of growth. And growth is never comfortable at first. You’re literally building a new relationship with anxiety, and with yourself.

5. You Now Have Hope (And Fear of Losing It)

When healing starts to feel possible, a new fear can pop up: What if I lose this? What if I go backwards? That fear is normal, and it doesn’t mean it will happen. It means you care. It means the work you’ve done matters to you. It means you're not willing to give up on yourself anymore. And now, even if bumps happen, you’ll navigate them differently than you did before, because now you have tools, insight, and self-trust.

“Some changes feel like chaos… until they feel like freedom.”

And that freedom? You’re likely closer to it than you think.

Let This Be Your Reminder

More anxiety doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re feeling, growing, and healing. You’re stepping out of old patterns. You’re tuning into your needs. You’re choosing courage, even when it’s messy.

So the next time you feel that spiral creeping in, pause and reframe.

This is not a setback.

This is not regression.

This is healing.

Want more support on your healing journey?

• Grab one of my self-paced mini-courses on panic attacks, driving anxiety, intrusive thoughts, avoidance, and more → Explore Courses

• My signature 10-week group program, Panic to Peace, reopens this September 2025! It’s an intensive, hands-on experience where we dive deep into recovery together → Join the Waitlist

  
  

I'd love to support you even further so healing doesn't feel so hard!

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