Remission

[angejes]

What does remission/recovery mean in terms of anxiety? I was diagnosed with anxiety in January, and my symptoms have improved. My worry is no longer excessive, but I still have irritability and feeling on edge. Would that mean I still have anxiety?

[Paxiled]

Impossible to say really.  Sometimes there's good reason to feel nervous or edgy or irritable or have your guard up.  The process that creates anxiety is one designed to protect us by increasing adrenaline so we are at our peak response.  The problem is when we don't need that response and the process occurs.  Mental illness is often episodic, meaning it comes and goes.  Sometimes it's forever, meaning it never goes away no matter what you do.  But most of the time people do get better, if not completely better, and I would just say, worry less about whether you're cured or not and just enjoy having a better time of it while it lasts because that will train the brain theoretically at least to make that feeling last.  Peace.