Many people experience feelings of anxiety at some point in their lives. You might feel nervous or worried about taking a test, asking for a raise, going on a date, or finishing a project on time. Occasional, mild anxiety like this is common. However, if your anxiety is continuous, severe, and/or interfering with your life, you may benefit from seeking additional support.
Individuals struggling with anxiety may notice changes in their sleeping habits, appetite, or their ability to connect with others due to their ongoing feelings of fear, nervousness, worry, or preoccupation. Anxiety fits in a broad spectrum and includes general anxiety, social anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, perfectionism, and panic disorders, among others.
People who experience anxiety symptoms may also struggle with issues like depression or substance abuse. If so, it is beneficial to explore how these topics may influence each other. The treatment approach used may depend on how your personal anxiety feels and how it is affecting your life. Several common anxiety treatment modalities include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Mindfulness-based approaches, and Client-Centered Work.
Struggling with anxiety can leave an individual feeling very isolated. You may wonder if anyone else feels the way you do. You might even worry that you’ll never feel differently.
You are not alone in how you feel. In fact, anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults over 18 in the United States and about 1 in 4 adolescents ages 13-18. If you’re feeling discouraged, remember that there are many effective treatments for anxiety and a large number of people do benefit from professional support.
Because anxiety can be such a painful and difficult emotion, I make it a point to validate, normalize, and acknowledge some of the tension that clients can be struggling with when suffering with anxiety. Often times the very process of acknowledging the anxiety can begin to subdue it. Additionally, in counseling we may discuss and try to ameliorate your fears, attempt to better understand your needs, and work on finding ways to better cope with and manage the anxiety. The environment of my counseling practice is one of compassion and collaboration, not judgment or shame.
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