Anxiety can be a normal part of life. You may get nervous thinking about an important bill, meeting with your boss, or rehearsing your wedding vows. Life throws scary and challenging moments at everyone.
However, for some people, anxiety can become overwhelming. Living with anxiety disorder goes beyond occasional stress or nervousness. Here are some examples of what anxiety can look like in your life:
- Susan is a retired EMT who constantly watches the news for disaster alerts and calls their loved ones multiple times a day to check on their safety. No matter how calm and uneventful retirement has been, negative thoughts won’t stop racing through their head.
- Dana is a war refugee who struggles to leave the house. She experiences frequent panic attacks when a car backfires or someone sets off fireworks nearby. At night, she lies awake reliving traumatic events.
- Frank is a high school student who gets nauseous or ill on exam days. No matter how much he studies or understands the topic at hand, he rarely finishes tests and sweats profusely when trying to answer essay questions.
Anxiety is one of the most common mental illnesses. It’s characterized by intense worry and fear and can erode your peace of mind. Experts theorize that the main contributors to anxiety are your environment, close relationships, and your past. Fortunately, counseling and therapy for anxiety have helped thousands lighten the grip it has on their life.
Is anxiety keeping you from doing the things you want to do? Speaking with a licensed counselor or therapist at Thriveworks Counseling in Greeley, CO, can help you manage the symptoms of anxiety. Call our office today to set up your first session.
Anxiety Disorders: Most Common Symptoms
Like any health concern, anxiety can show up in different ways. The major types of anxiety include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and separation anxiety disorder.
Anxiety symptoms can start in childhood or manifest later in life. Your experiences do not need to be severe to warrant professional care — anxiety therapy and counseling can help people living with mild to severe anxiety. Some of the most common symptoms of anxiety include:
- Excessive fear or worry
- Nervousness
- Rapid heartbeat
- Feelings of impending doom
- Trouble focusing
- Insomnia
- Trembling
- Restlessness
- Panic attacks
- Obsessive behavior
- Racing thoughts
If one or more of the symptoms listed here are familiar, you might be struggling with an anxiety disorder. Meeting with a mental health professional can provide you with answers and address your most pressing concerns.
Anxiety Counseling: What’s Involved in Treatment?
Anxiety can feel overwhelming and isolating, but we want you to know that support is available. Trained psychiatrists, therapists, counselors, and other mental health professionals are equipped to identify, treat, and provide strategies that reduce anxiety and help people get back to their lives.
Counseling and therapy for anxiety can take several routes. They frequently involve a combination of traditional talk therapy and prescription medication, and a provider might deploy specific methods like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: This form of talk therapy focuses on the way repetitive thought and behavior patterns contribute to anxiety. It aims to lessen anxiety by altering your reactions to stressful situations or stimuli.
- Exposure therapy: As its name suggests, exposure therapy involves interacting with the things that you fear in a safe environment. While avoiding anxiety inducing situations might seem like the solution, being gradually desensitized to their effects can make you more confident and capable of controlling panic in the long run.
People with anxiety regularly find that their sessions give them the tools to manage anxiety before it overpowers them. Takeaways include practicing mindfulness, exercise plans, and coping strategies for panic attacks like focused breathing and reflective journaling.
Do you think you could benefit from speaking with a mental health professional? If so, consider contacting us today at Thriveworks Counseling in Greeley, CO.
Schedule Treatment for Anxiety at Thriveworks in Greeley, CO
Treating anxiety is possible with professional support. At Thriveworks Counseling, we offer appointments during the week, in the evenings, and on the weekends. If you can’t make it to in-person sessions, there are also virtual options available through phone calls and video chat.
We accept many forms of health insurance and allow for flexible cancellations and rescheduled sessions. Clients often receive their first appointment within 24-48 hours of reaching out and can access their provider between visits via phone or email.
We also provide other great perks to our clients, including:
- 24-hour Q+A service with a life coach
- Exclusive video content
- Therapy Buddy mobile app for support between sessions
- Text-message assistance for booking and billing
If you want to rise above your anxiety, consider calling our office at Thriveworks Counseling in Greeley, CO, today. One of our team members will answer your questions and help you set up your first session.
