Richard has had anxiety for as long as he can remember. When he was a kid, he was diagnosed with gastrointestinal issues, and his anxiety always seems to worsen when his digestive disorder flares up. He worries that he won’t be able to find a bathroom when he’s out in public. He worries that he’ll lose his job if he gets ill. When he’s feeling panicky, he becomes irritable and takes it out on his wife and kids. Then they become upset, which gives him more anxiety. Are they mad at him? Are they going to leave him? Sometimes the feelings of panic are so bad, Richard wonders if he’s having a heart attack. He knows it’s time to get help for his anxiety disorder.
Fortunately, Richard found an exceptional counselor at Thriveworks in Lakewood, OH who specialized in diagnosing and treating anxiety disorders. The anxiety therapist worked with Richard to show him ways to help manage his anxiety when he felt overwhelmed.
Anxiety is a common mental health disorder, experienced by millions of US adults every single year. If you, like Richard and millions of others, are dealing with anxiety, know that help is available. Our anxiety therapists would be honored to help you manage your symptoms and pave the way to a happier, healthier life.
Common Questions That Can Provoke Anxiety
The modern world is full of stressors that can provoke anxious thoughts and feelings. But it’s not healthy to feel constantly overwhelmed or incapacitated by worries. Anxiety can come from all directions in your life. It can take the form of exhausting questions that go around and around in your head. For example:
- Am I good enough?
- Are my loved ones going to abandon me?
- Am I going to die?
- Are my loved ones going to die?
- Am I sick?
- Am I making the right decision?
- Did I offend that person?
- Did I forget to do something crucial?
- Did I sound/look/seem stupid?
- Am I too anxious?
When you have severe anxiety, the stakes can seem really high, even when you’re making small, seemingly insignificant decisions. It’s not rational to think that buying the wrong brand of toothpaste in the morning could start a downward spiral that may lead to your dying in a fiery car crash later in the day, but this type of life-or-death thinking might be familiar to someone with an anxiety disorder.
The licensed clinical counselors and psychiatrists at Thriveworks in Lakewood, OH are here to help you confront and reduce your anxious thoughts. You do not have to be alone with your anxiety.
Admitting to Anxiety Is the First Step in Effective Treatment
Anxiety is one of the most common mental disorders affecting Americans today. Over 18% of adults in the US suffer from it. Fortunately, that means that Thriveworks therapists and other mental health providers in Lakewood, OH are very familiar with the signs and symptoms of anxiety. They have the resources to help you identify when your fears and worries venture into extreme territory. Learning your symptoms of anxiety and labeling them as such can be the first step in an effective treatment strategy.
The 5 Main Types of Anxiety Disorder
Often anxiety disorders can bleed into other types of issues, like depression and sleep disorders, but here are the five main types of anxiety that a Thriveworks mental health provider might diagnose:
- Social anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Specific anxiety disorders can be treated with therapy, psychiatric medication, or a fusion of both. Some clients at Thriveworks in Lakewood, OH benefit from therapeutic tools like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy. You and your counselor can decide together which treatment or treatments are best for you. And your care can change over time. The goal is always to move you closer toward a happier, healthier life where you’re not constantly overwhelmed by anxious feelings.
Recommendations for Anxiety Beyond Meditation
We’ve all heard that daily meditation and regular exercise can help with anxiety. But for many people suffering from an anxiety disorder, those prescriptions aren’t enough. And what is deep breathing, anyway?
Anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Lakewood, OH can definitely teach you about general behavioral modifications that can benefit all anxiety clients, but they also tailor individual treatment plans to go beyond the usual “eat better and exercise more.” They can help you recognize your personal triggers and teach you specific techniques to feel in control of your mental health again.
Thriveworks clients recommend anxiety therapy to their friends because the sessions can significantly improve quality of life. Just imagine being able to leave the house without being paralyzed by fear and worry. Preventing anxiety attacks can mean preventing other physical, stress-related ailments, too. Anxiety therapy can be a way of treating the whole body, not just the mind.
The anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Lakewood, OH are rated at the top of their mental health field. When you enroll at Thriveworks, you can reach your provider by phone or email between sessions. And those sessions start on time or early over 97 percent of the time. Thriveworks accepts medical insurance, so anxiety treatment is affordable. Call Thriveworks today to schedule your first appointment and meet with your therapist within 24-48 hours.
