Stage 4. This is a transition phase where you move from always feeling anxious to noticing the absence of the anxiety. If anxiety has been present for many years, this stage in the process can feel strange, like a storm that’s been raging for so long that suddenly goes quiet. “Can it really be gone?” you ask yourself. “What if it comes back worse than ever?” Returning to the metaphor we used earlier, this stage can feel a bit like being freed from prison … where you’re still worrying that you might get thrown back in at any moment.
