What is Free Floating Anxiety?

June 24, 2025

Authored by: Taylor Shaw, B.S.

Edited by: Kristian Concepcion, AMFT

The American Psychological Association defines free-floating anxiety as “a diffuse, chronic sense of uneasiness and apprehension not directed toward any specific situation or object.”¹ When most people describe anxiety, they note particular triggers or causes that lead to the physical symptoms of anxiety. However, there are no specific triggers or stressors that cause free-floating anxiety. The feeling of anxiety lingers, with a heightened nervous system.

Unlike usual anxiety, the feelings of fear can’t be attached to anything. Free-floating anxiety may manifest itself as raised anxiety levels, and can be addressed in the short-term with relaxation techniques and mindfulness practices like meditation, progressive muscle relaxation or slowed breathing exercises. These kinds of techniques minimize the impact of raised cortisol levels, and remind the brain’s neurotransmitters to release dopamine or serotonin.

Whether you can attribute your anxiety to free-floating anxiety or generalized anxiety disorder, anxiety symptoms can be managed. For more information on free-floating anxiety, keep reading, or for more information on professional support for anxiety, call AMFM today.

What Are the Physical Symptoms of Free-Floating Anxiety?

Free-floating anxiety can manifest in many physical ways throughout the body, depending upon the person, including:

Hyperventilation
Shortness of Breath‌
Muscle Tension
Chest Tightness
Heart Palpitations
Increased Heart Rate
Chronic Stress
Excessive worry
Panic Attacks

If you’re experiencing common and frequent anxiety symptoms without any apparent cause, both medical care as well as mental health treatment may be helpful to provide you with a proper treatment plan.

Find out about our free assessments and admissions process

We accept most major insurance providers and can check your coverage levels for you.

If we are not an appropriate provider for care, we will assist in finding a care provider that can help.

Managing Free-Floating Anxiety Symptoms

If you’re struggling with free-floating anxiety symptoms and cannot pinpoint the reason, trigger, or stressor, there are plenty of short-term strategies to help manage the symptoms for those who struggle with anxiety. Mindfulness practices like mediation, yoga, journaling, and breathwork can reduce stress and anxiety on a daily basis. The main effects of slow breathing techniques cover autonomic and central nervous systems activities as well as the psychological status.² Living with anxiety can be difficult, and you deserve a greater sense of well-being. These are some short-term steps you can take to regulate your nervous system, manage your stress levels, and incorporate emotional regulation into your daily life.

Grounding Techniques

Grounding techniques can be helpful to break the cycle of anxious thoughts when you or your loved one might feel an anxiety attack coming on. One simple but effective grounding technique is the 5-4-3-2-1 method: name five things you see, four things you can touch, three things you hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This practice can help you acknowledge your surroundings and get you out of your head’s negative thought cycles.³

Breathing Exercises

There are a variety of breathing techniques and deep breathing exercises that are helpful when your anxiety symptoms feel overwhelming or out of control. One simple deep breathing exercise is to use a count to five as you breathe in, hold it for four counts, then release it for five counts, and repeat until you begin to feel yourself relax and let go.

Physical Stimulation

Physical stimulation can help you to jump start your body out of the fight-or-flight physical response of anxiety. Taking a cold shower, splashing your face with cold water, tasting sour candy, going for a run (and other types of physical activity) are all ways to trick your body into remembering that it is in a safe place.

Expressive Arts

Wellness activities like yoga, journaling, making playlists, art therapy and more can help build the mind-body connection through a more holistic healing process.

Therapy

Whether in a group or individual setting, psychotherapy practices like cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy can help reduce anxiety and negative emotions in the long run. Incorporating regular therapy appointments with a licensed mental health professional is recommended for anyone struggling with anxiety or other related mental health disorders, to build healthier coping mechanisms for lasting wellness.

Psychiatric Care

Psychiatric medications like antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications can increase wellness in combination with psychotherapy efforts. Many individuals living with anxiety have found success with SSRIs or SNRIs, when prescribed by a licensed professional. Never take a prescription that has not been prescribed specifically to you by a licensed professional, and when incorporating psychiatry into your mental health treatment plan, stay in lockstep with your therapist or psychiatrist regarding side effects.

Free-Floating Anxiety and other Anxiety Disorders

Free-Floating Anxiety is characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure, without a particular cause or situation, and it’s classified as a part of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).⁴ Other types of anxiety conditions can include but are not limited to:

Panic Disorder
Agoraphobia
Specific Phobias (Intense Fear)
Social Anxiety Disorder (social phobia)
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Separation Anxiety Disorder

An estimated 31.1% of U.S. adults experience anxiety disorders at some time in their lives, and approximately 31.9% of adolescents struggle with any anxiety disorder.⁵ If you or your loved one are struggling with anxiety and looking for effective treatment, don’t hesitate to reach out to AMFM Mental Health Treatment to begin your mental health recovery process today.

What is Anxiety Mental Health Treatment Like?

In a mental health treatment center, the day-to-day may vary depending upon your diagnoses and personalized treatment plan, but it will often consist of some combination of individual therapy sessions, group therapy sessions, psychiatry services, and more. AMFM Mental Health Treatment combines holistic and evidence-based mental health services in order to help each person overcome their particular obstacles and mental health conditions for greater overall well-being.

Group Therapy

Group therapy sessions can be used to help provide structured times to help you understand that you are not alone in your struggles, offering peer support, and the reminder that others are also walking through these challenges. At the same time, groups provide guidance from qualified mental health professionals, with suggestions and communication from psychologists with specialized backgrounds. These groups can span a variety of backgrounds, including but not limited to art therapy, somatic therapy, and narrative therapy.⁶

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy that’s focused on restructuring and reprogramming maladaptive and negative thought processes. Psychologists are trained to help adults and young adults change their cognitive and emotional processes in order to outgrow maladaptive coping mechanisms.⁷

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is most commonly referred to as “talk therapy,” and is designed to help process emotions. Qualified professionals offer psychological therapy to move forward with healthy ways of engaging in interpersonal relationships and alleviating physical and emotional distress.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

EMDR Therapy is a renowned method of reprocessing most often used in trauma therapy. By activating the prefrontal cortex through a series of bilateral stimulation, qualified mental health professionals can lead you through traumatic experiences, helping you to alleviate the distress symptomized by trauma.⁸

Family Therapy

AMFM Mental Health Treatment offers family therapy through virtual family support groups that provide a dedicated time for families to engage in supportive and constructive interactions, fostering stronger relationships, and enhancing the overall treatment experience. Recovery takes a village, and it’s often helpful for family members to be involved in behavioral growth.

Health Insurance for Free-Floating Anxiety

Most health insurance companies provide some form of coverage for anxiety treatment. This often includes both inpatient and outpatient care, depending on your symptoms and form of anxiety. Insurance provider coverage generally applies to therapy, counseling, and medication management services. Your plan may have limitations, exclusions, or required authorizations.

We encourage you to verify your coverage with AMFM Mental Health Treatment to understand the full scope of your benefits. This is especially true if you’re looking for specific treatments, like postpartum depression treatments or persistent depressive disorder treatment options.

Call Now

Verify Your Insurance

Disclaimer

What to expect

Insurance Verification:

Our team will verify if your insurance provider is in-network with an AMFM Healthcare Facility.

Contact From Admission Representative:

Expect a call within an hour from an admissions representative to discuss treatment options.

Disclaimer

Citations

Sussex Publishers. (n.d.-a). Free-floating anxiety: It’s not what you think. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-three-minute-therapist/202402/free-floating-anxiety-its-not-what-you-think

Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, Garbella E, Menicucci D, Neri B, Gemignani A. How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Psycho-Physiological Correlates of Slow Breathing. Front Hum Neurosci. 2018 Sep 7;12:353. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353. PMID: 30245619; PMCID: PMC6137615.

Smith, Sara. “BHP Blog – Behavioral Health Partners (BHP).” BHP Blog – Behavioral Health Partners (BHP) – University of Rochester Medical Center, 10 April 2018, https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/behavioral-health-partners/bhp-blog/april-2018/5-4-3-2-1-coping-technique-for-anxiety. Accessed 9 April 2025.

“Anxiety.” American Psychological Association, https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety. Accessed 8 April 2025. https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety#:~:text=Anxiety%20is%20an%20emotion%20characterized,the%20APA%20Dictionary%20of%20Psychology

“Any Anxiety Disorder – National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).” National Institute of Mental Health, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder. Accessed 8 April 2025.https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder

“Psychotherapy: Understanding group therapy.” American Psychological Association, 31 October 2019, https://www.apa.org/topics/psychotherapy/group-therapy. Accessed 20 February 2025.

“APA Dictionary of Psychology.” APA Dictionary of Psychology, https://dictionary.apa.org/cognitive-behavior-therapy. Accessed 20 February 2025.

“What is EMDR?” EMDR Institute, https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/. Accessed 20 February 2025.

Mental Health Coverage

Mental Health Coverage

What is Free Floating Anxiety?

What Are the Physical Symptoms of Free-Floating Anxiety?

Find out about our free assessments and admissions process

Managing Free-Floating Anxiety Symptoms

Grounding Techniques

Breathing Exercises

Physical Stimulation

Expressive Arts

Therapy

Psychiatric Care

Free-Floating Anxiety and other Anxiety Disorders

What is Anxiety Mental Health Treatment Like?

Group Therapy

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

Family Therapy

Health Insurance for Free-Floating Anxiety

Verify Your Insurance

What to expect

Insurance Verification:

Contact From Admission Representative:

Citations