On Thursday night Tommy was sleeping soundly. Suddenly he woke up in a full-fledged panic attack. His bedsheets were drenched in sweat. His racing heart seemed like it was beating out of his chest. He felt like something terrible was about to happen: to him, to his wife who was sleeping next to him, to his newborn daughter in the nearby crib. Was Tommy going to die? He woke up his wife and said he thought he was having a panic attack, but it felt like a heart attack. She helped reassure him that everything was okay until the episode passed about 10 minutes later. During that period of intense fear and anxiety, Tommy sat on the edge of the bed and held his head between his legs to combat the nausea. He tried to slow his breathing so he wouldn’t hyperventilate. But he and his wife were both shaken up by the sudden panic attack, and they recognized that Tommy needed professional help.
The next day Tommy reached out to a licensed anxiety therapist at Thriveworks in Fort Wayne, IN. Within 36 hours he had an in-person appointment with the top-rated, highly qualified, compassionate therapist who helped Tommy evaluate the origins of his anxiety and what triggered his panic attacks. Together they came up with a solution-focused treatment plan to get Tommy’s anxiety under control and help him be a happier, less anxious person at home, especially for the sake of his newborn daughter.
Why Do I Have Panic Attacks?
Panic attacks and anxiety disorders are caused by complex interactions between your environment, your genetics, and your neurochemistry. You may feel the panic attack building up slowly if you’re in a stressful situation, or it may happen completely out of the blue, like when you’re sleeping. The experienced, licensed anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Fort Wayne, IN can help you identify your triggers and teach you how to prevent panic attacks with evidence-based cognitive strategies.
Do You Need to See a Therapist If You Have Anxiety?
There’s a big difference between everyday stress and anxiety. Anxiety can severely interfere with your lifestyle and the pursuit of your dreams if left untreated. It can also cause chronic health conditions like hypertension, a compromised immune system, headaches or migraines, sleep issues, and gastrointestinal problems like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Not only that, but anxiety is associated with a fleet of other psychological conditions, such as hypochondria aka illness anxiety disorder (the irrational fear that you have a disease), depression, and concentration and memory problems. So yes, for the sake of your mental and physical health, you should seek professional help if you’re suffering from anxiety or panic disorder.
The licensed anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Fort Wayne, IN have extensive experience in diagnosing, treating, and preventing anxiety. They can help people understand and overcome their disruptive anxiety symptoms.
How Does a Therapist Treat Anxiety?
Anxiety counselors and psychiatrists at Thriveworks in Fort Wayne, IN have a wide range of evidence-based, solution-focused treatments at their disposal, including the following:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Medication prescribed by a licensed Thriveworks psychiatrist
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)
- Biofeedback
- Psychotherapy
- Art and music therapy
- Exposure therapy
Before you and your therapist decide on a treatment plan, your anxiety therapist will probably want to conduct a full psychological evaluation in order to understand what would best support you. They will also want to rule out physical reasons for your anxiety.
Many people with anxiety also suffer from substance abuse issues due to self-medicating with drugs or alcohol. A licensed substance abuse counselor at Thriveworks in Fort Wayne, IN can help address these simultaneous issues. Similarly, a person’s acute anxiety or panic disorder can affect an entire household. Licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) at Thriveworks in Fort Wayne, IN can help couples and families understand the psychology behind the condition and give them their own coping strategies.
Make Your Online or In-Person Appointment with a Licensed Anxiety Counselor in Fort Wayne, IN
At Thriveworks in Fort Wayne, IN, our licensed mental health providers accept most health insurance, making it easier for clients to receive premium psychological care without the premium prices. Thriveworks is known for its fast turnaround times on counseling appointments. If you call our office today, you can often be sitting in a session with a top-rated, licensed counselor within 24-48 hours. And that session can easily take place in-person or online, because Thriveworks in Fort Wayne, IN offers both options. Even our licensed clinical psychiatrists can meet with you online, at your convenience.
Don’t delay the anxiety treatment you deserve. In the words of the writer Brene Brown, you can stop “dress-rehearsing tragedy.” Get back to living your full life with the help of an exceptional anxiety therapist at Thriveworks in Fort Wayne, IN.
