Signs its time to start anxiety treatment
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is different from worry. You feel anxiety more intensively and all over. In fact, anxiety usually comes with physical symptoms. Compared to worry which may trigger problem solving, anxiety can feel more like circling a drain or a low hum. Symptoms of anxiety linger.
The truth is that anxiety is common. In fact, anxiety disorders are the most prevalent and among the most commonly diagnosed mental health issues.
Most people are familiar with the typical day-to-day worries. For example, stressful situations such as an upcoming exam, a job interview, or a public speaking event can trigger worry. While this type of anxiety can certainly cause discomfort and get in the way of performing one’s best, this alone does not constitute anxiety or anxious thoughts.
When anxiety takes hold, it lingers. It continues to vibrate.
Common Symptoms of Anxiety
Uncontrollable worry
Excessive planning
Recurring distressing thoughts
Preoccupation with uncertainty
Rapid heart beat
Rapid breathing
Muscle tension, especially frequent headaches
Avoiding people or places
Fidgeting or trembling
Speaking faster than usual
When to see a therapist for anxiety:
Constant avoidance mode
Repetitive thoughts about planning and negative scenarios
Sleep issues, change in appetite, and muscle tension
Panic attacks (a state of anxiety that triggers a body's fight-or-flight response. Physical symptoms are often more intense and come on abruptly. Many clients report a tightness in the chest area and/or rapid breathing)
What anxiety treatment and counseling can do to help with anxiety:
Anxiety issues and disorders are very treatable. A professional anxiety therapist can provide specialized support. Through anxiety therapy, you’ll addresses behaviors and anxious thoughts. Seeking professional help for anxiety is important. An anxiety therapist can help you bolster healthy habits is a great place to start in therapy. Sleep, exercise, and mindfulness practices are powerful factors in reducing the anxiety that just won’t quit.
Therapy Can Successfully Treat Anxiety
Secondly, research shows that talk therapy can effectively address anxiety. Counselors help clients take a close look at the “cognitions” or thinking (even the stories or narratives we constantly tell ourselves) that promote a mood. This mood or emotional state then informs our behaviors; you can shape your thinking which then shapes your mood and behaviors. Yes, even “Type A” or perfectionistic behaviors respond to psychotherapy treatment.
My Approach to Anxiety Treatment
While every therapist approaches anxiety treatment differently, I personally take a wholistic approach. Successful anxiety treatment in my counseling practice includes addressing mental health and physical factors while taking a deeper dive into the WHY behind anxiety. Often, increasing the general acceptance that worry and fear is a normal part of life and having a private, personal space that is devoted to healing, is a great place to start in therapy for anxiety.
Begin treatment for anxiety
I love supporting clients in creating a life that feels right; I love seeing people thrive. If you would like to discuss how therapy can help treat your anxiety follow these steps:
Contact my counseling office with any questions
Fill out this form to schedule a free phone consultation
Meet with me in my Durham, NC office and begin managing your anxiety symptoms!
Other services offered at my Durham, NC office
In addition to therapy for anxiety, I offer a wide variety of mental health services to help you on your healing journey. These include, counseling for depression, therapy during life transitions, premarital counseling, marriage and relationship therapy, divorce recovery counseling, parent and co-parent support, and couples counseling for alternative relationships. Contact my counseling office to learn more!
