Do you currently suffer, or have you recently suffered from, the following?
- Anxiety and/or worry about a number of events, such as work, financial matters, school performance, etc.
- Difficulty in controlling the worry
- Restlessness, feeling keyed up or on edge
- Being easily fatigued
- Difficulty concentrating, mind going blank
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Restless sleep or difficulty falling or staying asleep
If you answered Yes to three or more of the above, you may be suffering from generalized anxiety. (There are also more specific forms of anxiety, such as social phobia and panic.)
What else could go wrong?
You are not the only one who regularly has one of “those days.”
- Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health issue in the US
- 1 in 5 Americans struggle with anxiety
- Individuals suffering from anxiety are 3-5 times more likely to go to the doctor, as anxiety often mimics physical illness
Anxiety can be a debilitating, exhausting hurdle to clear day after day—but there really is help.
Stress, physical discomfort, persistent worrying and obsessing, fear of social situations and other phobias, as well as panic attacks are all various forms of anxiety. Although anxiety is experienced in numerous forms, ranging from the concretely physical to the intensely emotional, it is a condition for which psychotherapy is particularly well-suited. As with depression, anxiety falls along a continuum from mild to severe. Fairly disruptive anxiety, which often results in panic attacks and unhealthy physical symptoms such as high blood pressure, can be addressed with various, highly effective anti-anxiety medications. Even so, psychotherapy is essential to the understanding of the core issues leading to anxiety in such cases. In cases of more moderate anxiety, therapy alone is often enough to treat the unwanted symptoms. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be especially useful in treating anxiety, teaching the client various relaxation methods and other structured strategies for dealing with stress. Often, unresolved issues with family can trigger or exacerbate anxiety. Psychodynamic therapy helps the client resolve “unfinished business” with one’s family.
Anxiety may be experienced as a result of some significant life change, or may seem to come “out of the blue”. Dramatic shifts in one’s life role, such as marriage, changing jobs, going off to college, the loss of a loved one, etc., are likely triggers of anxiety. Anxiety is also commonly experienced when one feels unable to express certain emotions such as fear, anger, or disappointment. The therapist helps the client better define him or herself throughout stressful life transitions and situations, teaching more adaptive ways to manage emotion. In addition, developing a stronger sense of self identity helps the individual remain relatively secure even when powerful emotions and stressors are abundant.
Schedule an initial consultation if you would like to be evaluated for all forms of anxiety by a trained specialist.