Anxiety Therapy
Is Anxiety Preventing You From Living Life to the Fullest?
Are you constantly nervous or worried that something bad will happen?
Do you often spiral and panic about worst-case scenarios?
Do you struggle to feel calm and comfortable in new or different environments?
It can be extremely difficult to navigate anxiety and effectively challenge the negative thoughts and feelings that come with it. Anxiety therapists are trained to help you navigate these dynamics.
You may be constantly worried that something bad will happen. You may feel on edge and want to avoid leaving your couch. You might not sleep well due to racing thoughts keeping you awake. You may struggle to be fully present in certain situations or even cancel plans. You might feel panic and dread just thinking about hypotheticals and future events.
Anxiety therapy can help.
Anxiety Impacts Our Lives in Many Ways
When you’re feeling anxious, you’re likely consumed by fear and feel powerless to do anything about it. Anxiety, at its core, is about not feeling in control of what happens to you or in the world around you.
This can be about seemingly routine things, like getting in an elevator (what if it gets stuck between floors?), not wanting to go to a party (what if someone is sick and contagious?), or not wanting to speak up in a work meeting (what if I embarrass myself?).
When these thoughts come up, your natural response is likely to avoid the situation entirely. Maybe you pass on the elevator and take the stairs. Maybe you skip the party and stay home. Maybe you don’t speak up in the meeting and miss out on a great opportunity.
An anxiety therapist can help you navigate these desires and decisions.
When you avoid situations, you reinforce your anxiety. Your brain thinks you made the “right” choice because nothing bad happened, but the reality is you’re missing out on opportunities to enjoy life and even grow personally and professionally. It’s important to challenge these thoughts and push yourself to experience things that seem scary, but in reality, are not dangerous.
Seeking treatment for your anxiety can help you change your behavior and ensure that you, not your anxiety, is in control. This way your wants and needs determine your choices, not your fears.
Most People Experience Anxiety At Some Point In Life
Anxiety is extremely common. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one-third of U.S. adults experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Even more people experience anxiety but don’t meet the requirement for diagnosis.
Worry and fear are always present in our minds to a certain extent because if you weren’t fearful of truly dangerous situations, you wouldn’t take the necessary precautions to protect yourself. Your worry becomes anxiety when it is about non-threatening situations, and it causes impairments in your life.
Anxiety Comes in All Forms
The common thread in anxiety is when worrying, feeling on edge, trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating, and/or being irritable becomes a response to something. When these symptoms become overpowering, you’re likely experiencing an anxiety disorder, and therapy can help.
Anxiety Can Be Specific
It’s very common for someone to feel anxious about specific things or situations. For example, maybe you don’t want to fly because you’re afraid the plane will crash. Maybe you don’t want to sit on a balcony because you’re afraid of heights. These are specific situations you might avoid to keep yourself “safe.”
Anxiety Can Be General
It’s also common for anxiety to be more general. Maybe you’re worried that you’ll lose a loved one. You could be worried you’ll do something embarrassing or be judged. Or maybe you’re simply worried something “bad” will happen.
In each of these situations, you are experiencing negative or irrational thoughts. They all have some level of basis in reality, some more than others, which allows you to rationalize your fear and then decide to avoid an action or situation or cause you to feel uncomfortable in it. You may have physiological feelings such as a racing heart, tense muscles, feeling shaky or possibly sweating that follow.
Treatment for your anxiety can help you challenge thoughts and manage physiological symptoms so that you’re able to live a more fulfilling life.
Anxiety Therapy Can Help You Take Control of Your Thoughts and Feelings
Anxiety therapy has proven to be effective in treating anxiety, and we approach each client and each session differently based on your specific situation and needs.
Anxiety therapists start by looking at your life experiences as an experience often creates or reinforces your anxiety. We help you understand why you’re feeling the way you are and process the emotions and impacts of any underlying issues. Then we use evidence-based techniques to help you overcome your anxiety.
One of the most effective approaches to anxiety therapy is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which focuses on challenging and changing the way you think. You refocus on the facts instead of the fears.
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) is another commonly used anxiety counseling method. ACT focuses on accepting the facts or discomfort of a situation that you cannot change, thus lessening the impact it has on your thoughts, behaviors and decisions. Rather than trying to change the thoughts, you focus on limiting the impact they have on you and making decisions based off what you would do if the anxiety wasn’t present.
Another approach is exposure therapy, which involves gradually putting yourself in situations that you find anxiety-inducing to desensitize yourself to the situation and eventually feel more comfortable.
You Still May Have Doubts About Anxiety Therapy
It’s embarrassing to share my anxious thoughts.
The idea of talking to someone new about your deepest fears can be panic-inducing. Since anxiety often manifests in irrational thoughts, you may be reluctant to share these fears or concerns with others. You fear judgment. Anxiety counselors understand this fear and are committed to creating a safe, nonjudgmental space where you can talk through your thoughts and feelings.
But my anxiety isn’t that bad.
Anxiety is on a continuum from being anxious you’ll be late to work to not leaving your home because you fear something “bad” happening. You don’t need to be on the “extreme” end to warrant support via therapy. If your life is negatively impacted by anxiety, therapy can help.
What if it doesn’t work?
Anxiety is very good at creating doubt in your minds. While it may take time, anxiety therapy has been proven to be effective in many diverse studies.
You Can Take Control of Your Anxiety
Anxiety doesn’t have to rule your life. Perspective’s anxiety counselors are here to help, and we understand reaching out and getting started is often the hardest part. That’s why we try to make it as easy as possible by allowing you to schedule online at your convenience.
You can start small by requesting a free 20-minute consultation to get a feel for your anxiety therapist and ensure they’re the right fit.
Therapists who specialize in Anxiety Therapy:
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