People who suffer from anxiety have probably heard this famous quote from the Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon: “Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.” When you’re anxious or panicked, your mind can race in a thousand different directions, none of them good. Maybe you’re lying in a hammock in the shade, enjoying a beautiful spring day, but then your anxiety flares up and suddenly you’re lying under a tree limb that’s about to break off and crush you, or you feel as if you should race home to make sure you turned off the oven. And there goes your beautiful spring day!
Anxiety therapy at Thriveworks in Riverside, CA can help you gain control of your anxiety and get you back to enjoying the rich, happy, peaceful moments in your life. If your anxiety interferes with achieving your goals, then it may be time to see a licensed anxiety therapist or a psychiatrist at Thriveworks in Riverside, CA.
What Are the Physical and Psychological Symptoms of Anxiety?
Anxiety can manifest in a variety of ways in both the mind and body. Some people display their anxiety on the outside, like in certain compulsive behaviors. Other people internalize their anxiety, like when they’re continually worried that they’re going to die. But thoughts can affect behavior as well, like when someone with social anxiety begins to isolate themselves more and more. The following issues can be signs that you have anxiety:
- Sleep disruptions like insomnia or nightmares
- Lack of appetite or eating too much
- Gastrointestinal issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Hypertension
- Memory or focus issues
- Hyperventilation
- Racing heart
- Depression
- Overwhelming worries
- Compulsive behaviors
- Substance abuse or addiction
- Dizziness
- Nausea
Extreme anxiety can come in the form of a panic attack, when someone is overwhelmed with fear and worry to the point where they’re having difficulty breathing. The anxiety therapists at Riverside, CA can address the psychological origins of panic attacks, and help prevent panic attacks in the future.
How Common Is Anxiety?
Anxiety affects almost one in five American adults. It also affects children. Anxiety can have a negative impact on people with obvious stressors in their lives (like workaholics), and people whose lives look easy from the outside. For example, many of the following celebrities have opened up about their experiences with anxiety:
- Kendall Jenner, panic attacks
- Naomi Osaka, social anxiety and depression
- Ariana Grande, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Amanda Seyfried, panic attacks
- Miley Cyrus, panic attacks
- Big Sean, anxiety
- Marcus Morris, anxiety and depression
- Lena Dunham, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
Anxiety therapy at Thriveworks in Riverside, CA is a safe space to discuss your feelings and beliefs, no matter how irrational they may seem when you say them out loud. You’re convinced you have cancer even though your doctor recently gave you a clean bill of health? You think your child’s school bus is going to crash on the 5-minute drive to school? At Thriveworks, our anxiety therapists have heard it all, and they have the resources to help you modify the feelings and beliefs that can lead to overpowering anxiety.
Is Anxiety Treatable?
Fortunately, anxiety is highly treatable. Because it’s such a common mental health condition, extensive research has gone into finding treatments for anxiety that really work. The licensed anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Riverside, CA have experience with the following evidence-based treatments:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Psychotherapy (talk therapy)
- Exposure therapy, especially for phobias
- Psychiatric medication like antidepressants, prescribed by a licensed Thriveworks psychiatrist
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)
- Lifestyle modifications (improvements in exercise and diet, like cutting out caffeine)
- Holistic treatments like meditation and deep breathing
- Biofeedback
- Journaling
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Playing a script until the end
- Depression therapy (if someone has simultaneous depression)
- Art and music therapy
- Family therapy or couples counseling
- Solution-focused coping strategies
- Substance abuse counseling
How Effective Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety?
One of the most popular and effective treatments for anxiety is CBT. CBT tackles the underlying thoughts and beliefs that lead to anxiety. For example, an anxiety therapist at Thriveworks in Riverside, CA might work with a client on altering their cognitive distortions like “I’m a terrible person and everyone hates me”, or a similar belief that can drive acute anxiety.
Relieve Your Anxious Feelings with a Licensed Anxiety Therapist at Thriveworks in Riverside, CA
Life is hard enough without anxiety getting in the way of your happiness. When you experience a blissful moment, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to appreciate it without anxiety interfering?
The anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Riverside, CA are all fully licensed, highly qualified, and completely devoted to helping their clients overcome their mental health obstacles. Call the Thriveworks office today and you could meet with your therapist online or in-person as early as tomorrow. And best of all, our therapists accept most health insurance. We look forward to hearing from you!
