How Ana Maria Overcame Undiagnosed Anxiety Disorder
Ana Maria’s Journey to Healing from Undiagnosed Anxiety and Panic
Anxiety is often misunderstood, with many people living with undiagnosed anxiety for years, struggling to pinpoint the cause of their distress. Ana Maria’s story is one such journey—one that sheds light on the complexities of anxiety and the importance of proper trauma care.
From a young age, Ana Maria experienced anxiety and panic attacks that began around the age of five. Like many, she initially saw these overwhelming feelings and physical sensations—tremors, racing heart, heat rushing through her body—as an unexplained part of life. Her first hospital visit didn’t provide answers or relief, leaving her feeling isolated and desperate for help.
It wasn’t until much later in life that Ana Maria found clarity. Working with a trauma-trained therapist helped her understand that her symptoms were deeply rooted in childhood trauma. Growing up in Romania during the Communist Regime, Ana Maria had experienced systemic trauma, and though she had never connected these experiences to her anxiety, her therapist helped her make the connection. It became clear that her anxiety and panic were linked to the unresolved impact of her developmental trauma.
Ana Maria explains that many diagnoses, such as Developmental Trauma Disorder and Complex PTSD, aren’t even recognized in diagnostic manuals like the DSM-5. Without the right help, these conditions are often misdiagnosed as generalized anxiety disorder or PTSD, failing to capture the full complexity of the experiences. She urges people to seek professionals who understand developmental trauma and its lasting impact on the body.
With her therapist's guidance, Ana Maria learned to shift her perspective from fear to understanding. She now sees her body’s symptoms as information rather than something to be afraid of. Through years of therapy, she embraced her sensations and began seeing them as her body communicating its needs. This profound shift allowed her to heal.
Ana Maria encourages others on their healing journeys to be patient and gentle with themselves. Give yourself grace, she says, and take the time to understand your patterns and address them with compassion. She also shares her wisdom with others as a coach, offering support for those on their own journeys of healing.
To learn more about Ana Maria’s journey and her coaching, visit AnamariaLifeCoach.com. You can also follow her on Instagram at @AnamariaLifeButterflyEffect and reach out to her directly through email.
Be sure to stay tuned for part two of Ana Maria’s story. Subscribe to our podcast to receive updates and more inspiring stories of overcoming life's greatest challenges.
