Feel Like You’re Overreacting? You Might Be Misreading Your Anxiety

Anxiety gets talked about like one giant umbrella term, but this conversation from With Whit makes the case that not all anxiety is created equal. In Whitney Port’s archived interview with holistic psychiatrist Dr. Ellen Vora, the more useful question isn’t just why am I anxious? It’s what kind of anxiety is this? Because sometimes that panicky, buzzy, overwhelmed feeling is your body reacting to a physical imbalance like poor sleep, blood sugar crashes, hormones, or too much caffeine. And sometimes it’s something deeper.

Rather than treating every anxious feeling as something to suppress, Dr. Vora breaks anxiety into two categories: “false anxiety,” which she describes as avoidable anxiety rooted in the body, and “true anxiety,” which acts more like an inner warning system. The first may need food, rest, or regulation. The second may need honesty, boundaries, or a real change. 

This checklist, adapted from the episode, is for anyone who has ever felt trapped between am I overreacting? and is this trying to tell me something? 

Steps to figure out whether it’s true anxiety or false anxiety

1. Did this feeling come out of nowhere?

False anxiety often shows up suddenly, without a clear emotional cause. Ask yourself:

• Did I sleep poorly?
• Have I eaten enough today?
• Did I have more caffeine or alcohol than usual?
• Am I dealing with PMS or a hormonal shift?

If the answer is yes to a few of these, your body may be driving the feeling more than your circumstances.

2. Is your reaction bigger than the situation?

This is where things get tricky. Something can be real and your response can be amplified.

• Does this feel like a full-body spiral over one issue?
• Does it feel urgent or catastrophic rather than manageable?

The situation may still matter, but false anxiety can make it feel overwhelming instead of solvable.

3. What does your body actually need right now?

Before analyzing the problem, check your baseline.

• Am I hungry, tired, or overstimulated?
• Have I been in stress mode all day?

Dr. Vora’s point is pretty simple: regulate first, interpret second.

4. Does the feeling ease when you support your body?

False anxiety tends to shift when the body is supported.

• Does it calm down after I eat, rest, or step away?
• Does the situation feel clearer a few hours later?

If the intensity drops, your body likely played a major role.

5. Or does it keep pointing to the same issue?

True anxiety doesn’t just disappear once you’ve eaten or slept.

• Does this keep coming up even when I feel physically okay?
• Do I have a sense that something in my life isn’t right?

This is the kind of anxiety that may be asking for change, not just relief.

6. What is my body saying—yes or no?

When your thoughts feel noisy, your body can be more direct.

• Does this feel open, calm, or steady? → likely a yes
• Does it feel tight, heavy, or resistant? → likely a no

This can be especially helpful when you’re stuck between options or overthinking.

7. What actually needs to happen next?

Once you’ve checked in, the next step becomes clearer.

If it’s false anxiety:

• Eat something
• Rest
• Step away from stimulation
• Stabilize your routine

If it’s true anxiety:

• Set a boundary
• Make a decision
• Address what’s been building
• Be honest about what you actually want

Not every anxious thought deserves immediate meaning. Sometimes your body is overwhelmed. Sometimes your life is asking for your attention. The more you can tell the difference, the easier it becomes to respond instead of spiraling.

To hear all of Dr. Vora’s insights on anxiety, listen to With Whit wherever you get your podcasts.

Read More

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• What If the Anxiety You’ve Been Treating for Years Isn’t the Real Issue?
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