Anxiety is your body’s natural reaction to stress or challenges. It helps you complete daily tasks and may even keep you out of danger. But when your worry seems irrational or fear doesn’t go away, it could be an indication of an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety is a common mental health issue that affects millions of people all over the world. Children, adolescents, and adults can all experience anxiety with varying degrees of severity, from mild to debilitating. In some cases, the subsequent symptoms can start to interfere with your daily life.
Fortunately, counseling and therapy can help reduce anxiety symptoms and restore peace and normalcy to your daily life. The mental health professionals at Thriveworks in Birmingham, AL can help you cope with your anxiety disorder and give you tools to manage anxiety long term.
What Types of Anxiety Are There?
There are many different forms of anxiety and they can all look different from one person to the next. Because anxiety disorders can cause both physical and psychological manifestations, you could face a wide variety of symptoms. But while anxiety can feel different for everyone, certain types of anxiety tend to have similar causes and effects.
The following are some common forms of anxiety you may seek therapy for:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is the most basic form of anxiety. It is associated with continual and excessive worry, anxiety, or fear that is difficult to control. Symptoms might also include a rapid pulse, hyperventilation, muscle tension, changing eating habits, or insomnia. Genetics, past experiences, and brain chemistry may all contribute to the development of GAD, and it could begin as early as childhood.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic or terrifying event. Flashbacks, nightmares, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event are all possible symptoms and can severely interfere with daily life.
- Social anxiety is characterized by fear, anxiety, self-consciousness, or embarrassment during social interactions. You may have a fear of being judged or scrutinized by others or experience anxiety or panic in a crowd. Social anxiety may lead to avoidance of social situations, withdrawal, or isolation.
- Specific phobias are irrational fears of objects or situations that cause anxiety and avoidance despite posing little real danger. Unlike the normal fear or anxiety you experience in the face of danger or stress, phobias are chronic and may present extreme symptoms that interfere with your ability to lead a normal life. They can sometimes be brought on by trauma, genetic factors, or brain chemistry and begin in early childhood or later in life.
- Separation anxiety is a normal developmental stage for infants and toddlers, but can also affect children, adolescents, and even some adults. As an anxiety disorder, it can cause excessive distress or worry about being away from home or loved ones, and may result in nightmares or interfere with the ability to leave home or attend school or work. Environment, life stress, or genetics may all play a role in the onset of separation anxiety.
These anxiety disorders, and many others, can be successfully treated with the help of anxiety counseling. The mental health professionals at Thriveworks in Birmingham, AL can help you overcome your anxiety symptoms and keep them from interfering with your life.
How Anxiety Therapy Helps
Treating anxiety is both a short-term and long-term process. Through anxiety counseling, you’ll learn how to reduce anxiety in acute situations while also learning valuable techniques to manage anxiety symptoms in the future.
Common forms of therapy for anxiety include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, and interpersonal therapy. People with anxiety may also struggle with other mental health issues, as it is common for anxiety to accompany or exacerbate other conditions. Anxiety therapy might be combined with additional treatment options such as family therapy, prescription medication, or self-care recommendations.
Your therapist or counselor may also guide you through additional coping mechanisms like meditation or relaxation techniques, or make lifestyle suggestions such as reducing caffeine or alcohol intake. The recommendations that your provider makes for you at Thriveworks in Birmingham, AL will be customized for you and built around your specific issues and concerns.
Meet With an Anxiety Therapist at Thriveworks in Birmingham, AL
If you are struggling with feelings of anxiety, you can schedule your first therapy session online or by calling our friendly scheduling team. As a new client, you may even be able to meet with a counselor or therapist at Thriveworks within 24 to 48 hours.
Thriveworks in Birmingham, AL believes that everyone should have convenient, effective care for their mental health. We accept many insurance plans and offer appointments in the evenings and on weekends, even online. You can also reach your therapist or counselor by phone or email in between appointments and take advantage of our exclusive online video content.
You don’t have to wait to find relief from your anxiety. Let Thriveworks in Birmingham, AL connect you with a licensed professional who can help you reduce anxiety symptoms and regain control of your mental health and your life.
