“Do I Have a Hole in My Heart?” – Understanding Anxiety and Why It Feels So Physical
At some point, most of us have felt it—that sudden spike in heart rate, the jitters before a big moment, the invisible weight sitting on your chest. Sometimes, we brush it off as nervousness. Other times, it lingers longer, seeping into other areas of our life—until one day we find ourselves asking, “Why is this happening to me?”I remember thinking once, “I must have a hole in my heart.”My heart would race for no clear reason, and I rushed to get an ECG.The result? My heart was fine. But my anxiety wasn’t.
You’re Not Alone—Anxiety Is Far More Common Than You Think
According to the World Health Organization, around 30.1 crore people globally experience an anxiety disorder. That’s 4% of the world’s population.(Source: WHO - Fact Sheet on Anxiety Disorders)And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. This figure reflects only those with a diagnosable anxiety disorder. In reality, millions more live with milder or undiagnosed forms of anxiety that affect their quality of life, decisions, and relationships.So What Is Anxiety, Really?
Anxiety is the fear of a future threat—something that hasn't happened yet but feels very real in our body and mind. It shows up when we’re scared that something might go wrong and we won’t be able to handle it.
Some everyday examples:
1. Your manager calls or messages you—your heart skips a beat
2. You feel a sinking sensation when something in your job, relationship, or health feels uncertain
3. You avoid talking to strangers or that person at the café you admire
4. You hold back from trying new things like dancing, dating, or singingOften, we don’t even recognize this as anxiety. When I experienced it, I thought, “There must be a hole in my heart—that’s why this is happening.”The symptoms were physical, but the cause was emotional.Anxiety can trick you like that.Why Self-Help Isn’t Always Enough
Self-help books can offer useful insights. But many of them miss the most important part: the person behind the problem. They offer tools, but not companionship. They suggest changes, but don’t hold your hand through them.What really helps is:
Feeling understood by another human being
Working with someone trained to identify the deeper roots of your anxiety
Learning tools that fit your life, not just generic adviceHow Counselling Helps with Anxiety
At Lantern Journey, we work with people experiencing anxiety at all levels—from day-to-day anxious thoughts to long-standing patterns rooted in trauma or early life beliefs.
We combine:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – to deal with immediate symptoms like overthinking, panic, and avoidance
Schema Therapy – to uncover and change deeper beliefs that keep your anxiety running in the background
Anxiety doesn’t make you weak. It means your mind is trying to protect you—just in a way that’s no longer helpful.You don’t have to fight this alone. We’re here to walk beside you.
