Written by: Nysa Lilani & Informed by Ektha Aggarwal | Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Matthew Torrington, MD
Key Takeaways
- Anxiety is physical, not just mental: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) forces your nervous system into a near-constant “fight or flight” response, causing chronic muscle tension, fatigue, and shallow breathing.
- The “Mask of Success”: For many high-achieving professionals and first-generation individuals, anxiety hides behind perfectionism, overworking, and a drive to succeed at all costs.
- Cultural pressures trap anxiety in the body: Systemic pressures and stigmas like Log Kya Kahenge (what will people say) train people to internalize fear rather than express it safely.
- The Shakti Approach to Healing: Bridging Eastern wisdom with evidence-based Western treatments (like somatic therapy, brainspotting, and KAP) helps you move out of survival mode and into your “receiving era” of wellness.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is not “just worrying a lot.” It’s actually a persistent anxiety that feels difficult to control and can occur at varying intensities and frequencies.
If you have ever felt like your mind cannot turn off, your chest stays tight for no clear reason, and your body seems braced for something bad to happen even when nothing is wrong, you are not alone. Anxiety is not only a mental experience; it is deeply rooted in physical, somatic symptoms.
The Key Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder Include:
- Excessive daily worry
- Restlessness or feeling constantly on edge
- Difficulty concentrating or brain fog
- Irritability
- Sleep disturbances (trouble falling or staying asleep)
- Appetite changes
The Physical Symptoms of GAD: Why Anxiety Lives in the Body
While anxiety is generally classified as a mental health disorder, we tend to overlook its implications on physical health. It’s fair to assume that the majority of the attention for this illness focuses on the mind; however, chronic anxiety forces the nervous system into a near-constant stress response.
This state presents as shallow breathing, muscle tightness, a racing heart, chest discomfort, sweating, headaches, and ongoing exhaustion. From an Eastern holistic perspective, this is blocked energy, a disruption in your body’s natural alignment caused by chronic fear.
In somatic terms, many people with GAD are living in a body that does not fully believe it is safe. Even when there is no immediate danger, the nervous system can stay looped in an uncomfortable “fight or flight” mode. Breathing becomes shorter and higher in the chest. The shoulders stay tense. The jaw clenches. This constant activation can eventually leave you depleted of energy, brain-fogged, and emotionally exhausted.
High-Functioning Anxiety and “Immigrant Resilience”
Not all anxiety looks visibly distressed. In many high-achieving adults, GAD hides behind a facade of success.
For many of our world’s best leaders and CEOs, the outward projection of perfectionism, independence, and efficiency often masks the anxiety they face. From the outside, someone may appear incredibly put together, but internally, adrenaline steers them into an autopilot mode running purely on internalized pressure.
This is especially common in first-generation individuals and within Asian American, South Asian/Desi, and Latinx communities. Here, survival, sacrifice, and achievement are deeply intertwined. Many are convinced that these anxious feelings are simply the necessary cost of ambition. People are fed beliefs that normalize this workaholic culture, telling them it’s “just how you have to be in order to succeed.”
Cultural stigma can profoundly intensify this. Messages like Log Kya Kahenge (what will people say) train South Asian communities to suppress emotional distress, maintain appearances, and internalize fear. When anxiety has no safe outlet, it settles into the body.
Ready to drop the mask of success and finally exhale?
You do not have to carry this chronic tension alone. Let’s help your nervous system remember how to rest.
The Shakti Approach: Somatic Therapy vs. Traditional Talk Therapy
While talk therapy is incredibly beneficial, it is not the only option. Many individuals perfectly understand exactly what is triggering their anxiety, yet they still find themselves suffering from tension and nervousness. In some instances, traditional talk therapy can actually leave someone feeling more stuck in their head.
At Shakti Therapy in Culver City, we utilize a unique, culturally responsive approach that bridges Eastern wisdom with advanced, evidence-based Western neuroscience.
“What is happening in your chest, your breath, and your nervous system right now?”
For those suffering from high-functioning anxiety, we move beyond basic coping skills using advanced modalities:
- Somatic Therapy: Releasing trapped trauma from the physical body.
- Brainspotting: Bypassing the conscious mind to process deep-rooted, subcortical anxiety.
- Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP): Offering profound neurological resets for treatment-resistant anxiety and chronic burnout.
Holistic treatment of anxiety is not about ignoring your mind; it is about using your body as an active part of the healing treatment to transition out of a state of chronic survival and step fully into your receiving era.
Searching for an “Anxiety Therapist Near Me”? When to Reach Out for Support
If worry feels constant, your body feels tense all the time, or your anxiety is affecting your sleep, relationships, work, or health, support can help. If you have been quietly Googling “anxiety therapist near me,” that is your nervous system’s way of asking for relief.
Evidence-based care, especially when it includes both emotional insight and nervous system regulation, can help you rediscover comfort and peace.
If you are looking for an anxiety treatment center or a specialized anxiety therapist in Culver City, you need an approach that does more than simply help you analyze your worries. The goal is to help your body feel safe enough to stop rehearsing danger.
About the Founder: Ektha Aggarwal, LCSW
Ektha Aggarwal, LCSW, is the Founder and CEO of Shakti Therapy & Healing Services. She is passionate about shifting the mental health conversation to include somatic, body-based healing, particularly for high-achieving individuals and first-generation Americans navigating intergenerational pressure and chronic burnout.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can you have physical symptoms of anxiety without feeling “mentally” anxious?
Yes. Your brain may be hyper-focused on completing tasks or running on autopilot, pushing the emotional feeling of worry aside. However, your nervous system still absorbs that stress, manifesting physically as a tight chest, jaw clenching, digestive issues, or chronic fatigue.
How does the Shakti approach treat high-functioning anxiety differently?
We do not just treat the symptom; we treat the whole system. We combine evidence-based therapies (like CBT, DBT, and Narrative Therapy) with somatic and Eastern holistic practices. This allows high-achievers to heal the root cause of their burnout and transition from a survival-based “hustle” mentality into their receiving era of wellness.
Why is high-functioning anxiety so common in first-generation immigrants?
For many first-generation individuals, survival and success are deeply linked. The pressure to honor family sacrifices, navigate dual identities, and avoid cultural stigma often leads to a relentless drive. This environment trains the nervous system to view rest as a threat and overworking as safety.