Anxiety

Anxiety can start at any age, even if you haven't had it before.  It can be anything from persistent worry to panic attacks that leave you breathless and shaking.   General anxiety disorder may get worse over time as mounting life events increase.  You might go from being a "worrier" to spiraling thoughts of worst-case scenarios; the "what if's" keeping you up at night.  Social anxiety can lead you to avoiding going out or even spending time with people you really want to connect with.  

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Some anxiety is normal.  It is an early warning sign, letting us know that something isn't quite right, so everyone experiences it now and then.  If you have a big first-time event, you might also feel more anxiety. 

 

However, unaddressed it can become debilitating.  If you are having any of these symptoms, counseling for anxiety could be really helpful: 

• Unable to relax or sit still

• Feeling that something terrible is about to happen even when it's not

• Difficulty catching your breath

• Racing heart 

• Intrusive thoughts of something happening to you or someone you love

• Feeling nervous whenever you have to go into the public

• Difficulty entering buildings for appointments, classes, etc. 

• Unable to stop your thoughts and difficulty with concentration

• Feeling unwell or shaky as if something is wrong with you

• Difficulty falling asleep            

                                       

Getting counseling for anxiety can be very effective.  Because anxiety is already a coping skill meant to protect you, you can learn techniques to retrain your brain and nervous system to respond differently.  Even before we identify the roots of anxiety, you can start to learn some basic coping skills of mindfulness and awareness that help you to start to relax and feel better.  

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Because sometimes anxiety is a trigger symptom of a traumatic experiences, some of the treatment for anxiety includes trauma focused therapies like EMDR or Accelerated Resolution Therapy.   You can find more information about these two therapies on the Trauma Therapy page.    Treatment for generalized anxiety, social anxiety, or panic that I most often incorporate include Mindfulness-Based therapies, Somatic Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).  

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