You know the feeling the night before a big event? It’s that constant whirring in your brain as you lay there in bed, worrying about how the next day will go. The anticipation might keep you up or make it hard to stay asleep. But once you’re through the event, your stream of worries finally quiets down and you’re able to relax once more.
People with anxiety disorders have much more difficulty turning down the volume on those worries if they can at all. While anxious thoughts can be spurred on by a big event, they can also arise without any easily discernible reason. A simple pleasant interaction with a friend can leave a person with an anxiety disorder wondering for the rest of the week if they misspoke or bothered the other person, drowning out their present reality with ruminating thoughts.
That’s part of the reason it’s so hard for people with anxiety to manage their anxious thoughts — their worries are often not based on any hard evidence. And when there is an understandable cause for stress — like a relationship difficulty a major life change — someone with anxiety may overthink and obsess over it, finding it difficult to focus on anything else.
We know that figuring out how to control the volume of your anxiety is not easy to figure out on your own. That’s why our mental health professionals at Thriveworks in Green Bay, WI are here to help you find balance and control. Reach out today to schedule an appointment.
Getting To Know Anxiety Symptoms
The first step in determining the difference between feeling intense stress and experiencing an anxiety disorder is identifying the severity and persistence of your symptoms. Usually, symptoms of an anxiety disorder will be present for extended periods of time and interfere with your daily life.
Common anxiety symptoms include:
- Feelings of danger, panic, or dread
- Trouble concentrating or thinking clearly
- Muscle twitching or trembling
- Avoidant tendencies toward anything that might trigger anxiety
- Rapid breathing
- Heavy sweating
- Restlessness or difficulty sitting still
- Changes in appetite
- Difficulty falling and staying asleep
- Increased irritability or anger
- Frequent panic attacks
- Feeling a general lack of control over stress or emotions
- Inability to feel grounded in present moments
Anxiety disorders can develop at any age and at any point in your life. Genetic factors, such as brain chemistry, and environmental factors can also play a role in who develops anxiety disorders.
If anxiety symptoms are preventing you from living your life the way you want to, you don’t have to settle for that. The counselors, therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists at Thriveworks in Green Bay, WI can teach you how to manage your anxiety and get your life back on track.
How Anxiety Therapy Can Help
Treatment for anxiety may look different depending on how you experience this disorder. For some people with mild cases, implementing certain lifestyle changes can be enough to allow them to function normally again in their day-to-day life. Other people might require talk therapy for anxiety in order to mitigate their symptoms.
In therapy, your provider can help you figure out how and why your anxiety manifests, and work with you to develop strategies and exercises to fight back against it. One common exercise for clients that experience concentrated moments of panic or spiraling thoughts is to note five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste. A therapist or counselor can teach you relaxation techniques and coping skills such as these to help you practice mindfulness rather than getting swept away by your thoughts.
Some people also benefit from taking medication. If medication is right for you, your provider can help make that determination, prescribe it for you, and ensure you are responding well to treatment.
There’s no set timeline for how long anxiety treatment should take. Your licensed mental health professional will take your unique needs into account and create a timeline that works best for you. Having someone understand your thoughts, behaviors, and emotions allows for personalized care that can be adjusted as you need. You might, for instance, attend weekly therapy for a few months, then attend bi-weekly sessions before ultimately going to therapy on an as-needed basis. Or, you may attend weekly sessions for over a year. It all depends on your needs, your symptoms, and how you respond to treatment.
Even if you stop attending therapy, you can always return for a tune-up if you feel your symptoms growing stronger again. The path to reducing anxiety is not always perfectly straight and flat, and that’s okay. No matter what your path may look like, we want you to know that our providers in Green Bay, WI are here for you.
Schedule an Anxiety Counseling Appointment in Green Bay, WI
If you’re tired of feeling anxious all the time, know that help is here for you. If you call or click today, you can schedule to meet with a licensed professional seven days a week, both in-person and online. You could even meet with a counselor or therapist in as little as 24 hours.
Our affordable rates, health insurance network, and appointment availability all make scheduling quick and easy. Let us help you thrive — schedule an appointment today with Thriveworks in Green Bay, WI.
