Will Anxiety Last Forever?
The short answer is: it can — if nothing changes.
If you keep reacting the same way to the same triggers, and nothing interrupts the cycle, anxiety can persist for years — even decades. But that doesn’t mean it has to last forever. In fact, many people do recover. The key lies in understanding why anxiety continues and how to break the cycle.
Sometimes, Anxiety Resolves on Its Own
In some cases, anxiety fades over time without direct intervention. This often happens when anxiety is linked to low confidence or self-consciousness — particularly during adolescence.
For example, blushing is a common anxiety symptom. Many teenagers struggle with it as part of growing up. But as confidence builds and they become more comfortable with themselves, the blushing reduces — and sometimes disappears entirely. No therapy, no medication. Just maturity and internal change.
This kind of anxiety tends to resolve naturally because the cause (self-doubt or insecurity) fades with time and experience.
But Most Anxiety Doesn’t Work That Way
To understand why anxiety often sticks around, let’s compare it with another emotion: grief.
Grief, while painful, is a releasing emotion. Over time, we slowly let go of the emotional energy. If you imagined grief as 10 gallons of emotional pain, the first few months might pour out a few gallons. Then more over time, until eventually — you feel peace.
With anxiety, however, we don’t release it — we generate it.
Every time a trigger is activated, our brain sends out a danger signal. That signal causes the body to flood with stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. We don’t “run out” of anxiety because it’s constantly being produced by our nervous system in response to a perceived threat.
As long as the subconscious believes there is danger, anxiety will continue to be triggered. This is why someone can have a fear of spiders (or flying, or public speaking) for 20 or 30 years — without it weakening.
The Role of Triggers
Ask yourself:
- What triggers my anxiety?
- How long have these triggers existed?
- Do they still set me off, every time?
If your answer is yes, then you’re not alone. And this is the clearest evidence that anxiety will continue — unless you remove or reprogram those triggers.
Some people are lucky — they can avoid their triggers. If flying causes panic, they just don’t fly. But what if your anxiety is triggered by everyday things — driving, crowds, social situations, or simply leaving the house? Avoidance won’t work forever.
To truly move beyond anxiety, you need to change your relationship with your triggers.
Reprogramming the Mind
Anxiety doesn’t have to last forever. But it won’t disappear by wishing it away or ignoring it. It requires changing how your mind and nervous system respond.
There are many therapeutic techniques that help, but the two I’ve found most effective are:
1. BWRT® (BrainWorking Recursive Therapy)
BWRT is a cutting-edge, fast-acting therapy that helps the brain respond differently to emotional triggers. It works by interrupting the old fear response and replacing it with a calm, neutral reaction — all without needing to relive painful memories.
Because BWRT uses recursive mental looping, it helps rewire the brain at the source. It doesn’t just “cope” with anxiety — it deactivates the original emotional charge.
2. Hypnoanalysis
Hypnoanalysis involves entering a relaxed, hypnotic state and regressing to the root cause of the anxiety. Often, the brain is holding on to outdated beliefs or emotional patterns formed in childhood. Once these are uncovered, the subconscious mind can release them — recognizing that they no longer apply.
Rather than managing anxiety, hypnoanalysis helps resolve it by addressing the emotional blueprint it’s built on.
Conclusion: Anxiety Doesn’t Have to Last Forever
Yes, anxiety can last forever if the triggers remain in place. But it doesn’t have to. Whether through time, personal growth, or targeted intervention like BWRT or hypnoanalysis, change is possible.
And the good news is: programs can be rewritten.
If your anxiety has been following you for years, that’s not a sign it’s permanent — it’s a sign your brain is still running the same program.
Learn more about BWRT here
Learn more about Hypnoanalysis here
Contact me here
Tim Grover - Bedfordshire Therapies 