Counseling for Anxiety
What is anxiety and isn’t it just being too stressed?
Anxiety makes the external world feel loud, chaotic, and fast-paced, but it also does that to your internal world. Even in the seemingly quiet environments, you feel like there is too much stimulation. You feel desperate for calm but cannot grab hold of it. The anxiety you are feeling is overwhelming and destabilizing.
If only life would slow down, then you would be able to handle the internal stressors. But life doesn’t seem to slow, in fact, it is gaining speed. Anxiety can make it seem like there’s an inevitable wave coming towards you and no matter how fast you run, it will catch up to you. The helplessness has become too familiar, and you have grown accustomed to just waiting for the wave to crash down.
Sometimes it feels like you’re being stretched in multiple directions or that there are too many options of the paths to take. Anxiety feels like there isn’t just one right road to take, but also that you’ll likely choose the wrong one. The emotional toll is too costly and yet you’ve given up thinking it could feel different. You are not alone in feeling this way.
Unfortunately, there are many concerning and stressful aspects of being alive today. It would be great if the stress we feel mirrors how much capacity we have in that season of life, but it doesn’t work that way. Often, we end up living way beyond our capacity to cope and life starts to unravel. Anxiety comes along and starts declaring “You’ve failed! You are too weak. You should be able to handle this. Other people are doing fine, what is wrong with you?”
What are the symptoms and is it lifelong?
Anxiety disorders affect roughly 1 in every 10 people in the United States according to a study by the National Institute of Mental Health. Feeling worried can be a normal human experience, but when it becomes pervasive and consuming anxiety can start to color your daily life. Your brain has learned that anxiety can prevent danger because “at least you are prepared,” but the anxiety is now in the driver’s seat and you are a captive passenger.
When you are dealing with anxiety, it may feel like you can’t breathe or that your chest is tight. You may have racing thoughts or crushing worry. Maybe your heart is beating way too fast or cannot keep your hands from shaking. You could even be having panic attacks that come out of nowhere, which leave you exhausted and disoriented. The physical signs may look different, but the cause is the same. It is anxiety and it’s time for it to lose its hold on your life.
Anxiety does not have to be lifelong when you get help and support. Although it’s common for about 30% of Americans to have anxiety at some point in their lives, it does not have to define the rest of your life. Reaching out for help can be intimidating, but anxiety can be healed, and you can live differently.
What can I do to help my anxiety?
Counseling for anxiety starts with exploring your thoughts. Together we will examine where your thoughts go when you’re feeling anxious and stressed. Therapy can help find where the root of the anxiety began. Sometimes it is from trauma, loss, or even perceived or real abandonment. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an effective approach to anxiety because it identifies where there is unhelpful thinking and how those unhelpful thoughts affect our emotions and actions. As we work together, you will learn CBT tools to address the negative thoughts and replace them before they take hold and cause havoc.
Another approach we will use is getting in tune with your body and the physical sensations you experience. Often people want to run from feelings of anxiety because it feels terrible and the urgency to get it to stop is paramount. However, when you learn to sit with the anxiety feelings, you will start to recognize the “why” behind the symptoms. Wouldn’t you rather address the core reason and heal that part of you so that you don’t have to experience anxiety again? When we give space to those physical feelings, we will start to recognize the underlying needs or fears that need attention.
Imagine having mental “space” and peace every day instead of just a passing feeling. You are starting to feel more in control of your thoughts and can easily dismiss the negativity. The things you used to dread, you no longer avoid because you have the bandwidth to tackle it. Maybe you even look forward to going out with friends or being in social gatherings. Your heart rate doesn’t spike when you see a crowd or are thrown into a new environment.
Is anxiety counseling really worth it?
It can be tempting to think that counseling for anxiety is just a Band-Aid on those feelings especially when the world isn’t going to stop being full of crazy. You may think that it’s just a temporary reprieve and that the peace will not remain because there is a lot that is out of your control. Yes, the world may continue to be chaotic, but your internal world does not have to be. You can learn how to protect your peace and become so mentally strong that you can help others through it too.
Your ability to cope with stress will increase. Your internal self-talk will become fair, balanced, and kind. Your mind will be quieter as you drift off to sleep, and you’ll wake up feeling more rested. You may even start to discover new hobbies or activities to do with your free time because you have the mental energy to do so. The past will begin to stay in the past and the future will be left to the future. You will be living in the present and enjoying the journey without anxiety about the destination.
Let’s get started on your new normal!