That was me, for sure. Then when all of those repressed needs suddenly got released, it was traumatic for me. I got flooded and almost had a breakdown.

I can't see the inability to recognize them as anxiety. Hopefully I will someday, but I could text my T 100 times a day, and still crave closeness. It seems like an insatiable need, in my case. That's why I sometimes think of it as a "want".

edit: I don't even know if that makes sense-haha