Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are the most common group of mental illness, affecting at least 40 million people in the United States. While experiencing anxiety to some degree is a normal part of being human, excessive anxiety can be debilitating and interfere with one’s ability to function, perform everyday tasks and enjoy life. Fortunately through therapy people can learn how to decrease and cope with symptoms of anxiety so that they can live a life worth living.

Identification and Symptoms

One of the primary barriers to treatment is a lack of understanding regarding what classifies as a disorder. After all, some degree of anxiety is normal and even healthy for everyone to experience at times.

Anxiety disorders have varying degrees of severity, from a vague hindrance to intensely restrictive. There are many types of anxiety disorders, and causes can be inconspicuous or layered.

Some of the more generalized symptoms:

• Persistent and uncontrollable feelings of worry
• Difficulty concentrating or sustaining attention
• Problems sleeping
• Feeling restless or on edge
• Increased irritability
• Hyperventilation
• Increased heart rate

Anxiety problems manifest in a variety of ways, and every case is different. You should seek help if your anxiety symptoms persist or appear disproportional to the initial triggers. If you feel uneasy or unsure about whether or not your situation necessitates therapy, don’t hesitate to contact me for a consultation.

What Does Treatment Look Like?

Numerous modalities have shown degrees of success in helping people with anxiety disorders. Both CBT and DBT can be effective in figuring out how to soothe oneself. Mindfulness training is also particularly useful for managing symptoms.

Some of the benefits of anxiety therapy:

• Learn valuable coping and soothing mechanisms
• Develop a non-judgemental, compassionate perspective toward yourself
• Learn to focus on the present moment, rather than ruminating on the past or what the future holds
• Gain a sense of control over your worried mind, as opposed to your worried mind controlling you

On top of anxiety itself, the condition is often compounded by self-judgment. One of the fundamental steps of treatment is to learn how to manage your inner critic through the development of a nonjudgmental, compassionate perspective toward yourself.