What Is Anxiety?
Periodic worry or feelings of nervousness are part of the human experience. Anxiety can be healthy and adaptive, helping to keep you out of trouble; however, too much fear or anxiety can hamper your ability to live your life. Living with anxiety on a day-to-day basis is frustrating. The level of stress you’re feeling may have become overwhelming as you struggle to stay focused at work, feel disconnected from family and friends, or constantly question whether you’re doing things right. Maybe you’re consumed with needless worry or losing sleep because of fearful thoughts. You may be constantly on edge while at the same time feeling emotionally fatigued and beaten down.
When anxiety persists it can become a life-shattering problem, impacting your ability to function at work, school, or in social situations and putting a strain on your relationships with friends, family, or romantic partners. Feeling overwhelmed or on edge all the time gets old. A mind that generates near constant worry about the future likely gets in the way of you living the life you want.
Fortunately, there are effective treatments for anxiety that can help you re-orient away from suffering and toward what matters most to you in life.
You Are Not Alone
Struggles with anxiety are common. Up to 25% of the general population will grapple with some form of disruptive anxiety during their lifetime. Troublesome anxiety can present in varied ways. Some people are anxious by nature and experience it throughout their lives. For others, anxiety can emerge after experiencing trauma, a loss, or a significant life transition.
There can be persistent, excessive worry; irritability; or overwhelming feelings of restlessness or being on edge. There can be paralyzing panic attacks or intense fears (phobias) of situations (heights, enclosed spaces) or objects (snakes, spiders). There can be fear of social situations, feeling self-conscious when interacting with others, and worry about being rejected by peers. There can be obsessions (uncontrollable feelings and thoughts) and compulsions (routines, rituals) like repeated hand washing or checking and re-checking work for errors.
Treatment for Anxiety
If you are one of the almost 80 million individuals wrestling with problematic anxiety, you know first-hand the struggle it can be to maintain a sense of balance each day. Anxiety is very treatable. Psychotherapy for anxiety can help you find your calm center and get your life back. Working with a skilled, experienced psychologist, therapist, or counselor is important. Many people notice improvement after several (or fewer) months of psychotherapy.
As an experienced psychologist with expertise treating disruptive anxiety, we can work together in a safe, accepting space in pursuit of long-term change in your relationship with uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. We will work together to uncover ways in which you can live a meaningful and productive life. We will work together to move you in life directions about which you deeply care. We will work together to help you more consistently focus on what you want your life to be about and what really matters. By applying various evidence-based interventions – to include ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and mindfulness techniques – we will tailor your treatment to your needs and goals.
If you are struggling with anxiety and interested in taking back control of your life, I invite you to call or email me to get started working together to get you back where you want to be.