What is anxiety therapy?
Anxiety therapy helps people better understand and manage their anxiety. Anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Portland, ME can develop a treatment plan that will help you better manage your day-to-day anxiety or your anxiety disorder.
How does anxiety therapy work?
Anxiety therapy involves talking to a therapist about symptoms, potential causes, and more. Thriveworks Portland therapists will then work with you to determine where your anxiety might stem from and teach you effective coping mechanisms.
How to deal with anxiety?
One of the best ways to deal with anxiety is to learn about your own anxiety: your symptoms, what triggers it, and what coping mechanisms have been effective in the past. When you learn what your anxiety is tied to, it can help you be mindful of what’s really happening as well as prevent and mitigate symptoms by processing and working through the issue in therapy. Other strategies that have been shown to help manage anxiety are meditation, challenging anxious thoughts, exercising, and journaling.
Symptoms of anxiety
Common symptoms of anxiety include:
- Sense of impending danger
- Nervousness/restlessness
- Trouble focusing
- Excessive sweating
- Shaking
- Headaches
- Stomach issues
- Fatigue
- Panic attacks
- Increased heart rate
What is the best therapy for anxiety?
Is anxiety therapy conducted in person or online?
Anxiety therapy is conducted both in person and online, depending on the individual’s preferences and their therapist’s availability. We suggest choosing the option that best suits your needs.
How long does anxiety therapy last?
On average, people can tend to attend 15 to 20 session of anxiety therapy (five or more months). However, this number is heavily dependent on the type of anxiety that’s being treated and its severity, with many choosing to attend anxiety therapy for a longer period of time to ensure its effectiveness long-term.
Is therapy worth it for anxiety?
Yes, it is worth going to therapy for anxiety. If you are struggling with regular anxious thoughts and feelings that are affecting your day-to-day life or you suspect that you have an anxiety disorder, you should seek expert anxiety help.
Need more help deciding?
Therapy for Anxiety in Portland, ME
At Thriveworks Counseling in Portland, ME, we have anxiety therapists who can assess you to discover what you’re dealing with and then provide a detailed treatment plan to help with your unique situation.
If you’re struggling with the symptoms of anxiety, call our office at (207) 994-7555 or schedule your session online today.
Types of Anxiety: Generalized Anxiety, Social Anxiety, PTSD, and More
There are different types of anxiety, including:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): GAD is marked by uncontrollable, racing thoughts. Other symptoms include sleep disturbances, irritability, excessive worry, and fear.
- Panic disorder: Panic disorder is characterized by panic attacks, which many people mistake for heart attacks.
- Social anxiety disorder: Social anxiety, also called social phobia, is characterized by anxiety induced by social interactions and settings.
- Selective mutism: This is another form of anxiety where the individual cannot speak in certain circumstances, such as in the presence of classmates or family members they don’t see often.
- Specific phobias: There are also specific phobias, such as agoraphobia, or the fear of crowded public spaces, and animal phobias, which are to specific animals like dogs and spiders.
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): OCD is characterized by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. Those with OCD are often fearful of germs and do everything they can to minimize them.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): PTSD can develop after one experiences trauma and doesn’t address the disturbances properly. Symptoms of PTSD include nightmares and flashbacks to the trauma.
All of these anxiety disorders can make day to day tasks and activities unpleasant. This makes seeking treatment for anxiety extremely important. Thriveworks Counseling in Portland, ME can set you up with an anxiety therapist who can offer the right treatment, which will likely involve therapy and/or medication.
Common Anxiety Symptoms
Not everyone with the same type of anxiety has the same symptoms. Some people have many symptoms and some have only a single symptom. Some have symptoms all the time, or nearly all the time, while others only have symptoms occasionally. This list of symptoms is not meant to help you self-diagnose. Only your physician or counselor can properly diagnose you.
That said, here are some of the most common symptoms of anxiety:
- Obsessive thoughts or worry
- Confusion
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Becoming easily frustrated
- Despair
- Pacing
- Feeling tense
- Fast heartbeat
- Nausea
- Sweating
- Difficulty breathing
- Headaches
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Insomnia
Schedule an Anxiety Appointment at Thriveworks in Portland
Thriveworks Counseling in Portland, ME has anxiety therapists who are experts at helping people manage this mental disorder. To schedule your appointment, give Thriveworks a call (207) 994-7555. Our scheduling team is here to assist you and answer any questions that may arise.