Dr Amir Khan, the ITV regular and medical professional, has candidly shared his personal struggle with anticipatory anxiety, asking his followers if they experience the same condition. In a video posted to Instagram, where he has over one million followers, he said: "I've diagnosed myself with something called anticipatory anxiety and I need to know if anyone else has this."
What Is Anticipatory Anxiety?
Dr Khan explained that anticipatory anxiety causes his brain to brace for the "worst case scenario" that never actually materialises. He described how his mind replays conversations and prepares for imagined conflicts. "You know, when you've got like a meeting coming up or you've got an awkward conversation with someone you just don't want to have," he said. "My brain decides we're not just going to have one conversation in my head with these people, we're gonna have 47."
He elaborated: "I'll imagine them saying something awful. So I prepare my perfect comeback, then they say something even worse in my head, so I then prepare for that. Then I imagine myself calmly standing my ground, walking away with dramatic dignity, probably to a soundtrack that only I can hear. By the time I've finished, I've won an argument that never actually happened."
The Reality vs. Imagination
Despite the intense mental preparation, Dr Khan noted that real-life interactions are often uneventful. "Then the real conversation comes along and they're lovely, they're polite, we agree on things. The meeting lasts like just six minutes, so then it's just a chat. And I come away thinking, 'Why on earth did I spend two days emotionally preparing for that?'" He added: "Well, that is anticipatory anxiety, and I have a full-blown case of it all the time."
According to Dr Khan, this form of anxiety occurs when the brain's threat system tries to protect you by rehearsing every possible disaster. "It's trying to help me, it believes that if it rehearses every possible disaster, I'll be ready for anything. But in reality most of those disasters just don't happen," he said. "So all that's really happened is I put myself through stress, once in my imagination and then once again in real life, except the real life version usually turns out absolutely fine."
Public Support and Clinical Definition
Dr Khan's followers responded with an outpouring of support. One wrote: "Omg Amir this is me! I drive myself mad doing it. Glad I'm not alone. Thanks." Another said: "Yes! Amir you most definitely are not alone, this is so me." A third commented: "I do this too, it can be exhausting."
Anticipatory anxiety is a widely acknowledged symptom of anxiety disorders. Anxiety UK states: "Anticipatory anxiety is where a person experiences increased levels of anxiety by thinking about an event or situation in the future. Rather than being a specific disorder in its own right, anticipatory anxiety is a symptom commonly found in a number of anxiety-related conditions, such as generalised anxiety. Anticipatory Anxiety can be extremely draining for people as it can last for months prior to an event."
Symptoms and When to Seek Help
The NHS lists common symptoms of general anxiety, which can include anticipatory anxiety: feeling tired, restless or irritable; feeling shaky or trembly, dizzy or sweating more; being unable to concentrate or make decisions; trouble sleeping; worrying about the past or future, or thinking something bad will happen; headaches, tummy aches or muscle pain; dry mouth; pins and needles; noticing your heartbeat gets stronger, faster or irregular, or you get short of breath when you start feeling anxious.
The health service advises that if you are unable to determine whether shortness of breath is caused by anxiety or if you have concerns regarding any other symptoms, you should seek advice from your GP.
