I have had anxiety disorder my whole life but only got an official diagnosis at 45. Doctors would say that we all have anxiety on occasion. I knew my claustrophobia, and my fear of heights was, and my fear of public speaking were anxiety.   When I would have trouble sleeping, I did not  always see my insomnia as a symptom of my anxiety.  Most of the time I did not feel anxious when I was trying to sleep. I never had heart palpitations, things I feel when speaking in public- speaking. 

Thinking of anxiety as insecurity might be a better way to think about it.  It can also be hard to know what is normal since we can’t directly compare your own inner negative thoughts with other people’s.  Sometimes anxiety can be like a blankness where you can’t think or focus.  

Some therapists feel like patients should never diagnose themselves. Still, someone living with an illness knows the disease much better than someone who just read about it in a book and talks to people in an office.  It always helps to be as educated about your condition as you can so you know when the person is telling you something true that makes sense for you.