Remember back to your first date, your first interview, or the first time you ever had to give an oral presentation. You may have felt butterflies in your stomach or a knot rising in your throat. Your face may have been flushed. Your hands may have felt clammy.
We all know what it’s like to feel anxious. It’s a natural part of the human condition — and while it may feel uncomfortable, small doses of anxiety can actually offer some important benefits. Anxiety can push us to do our best and achieve our goals. It can even save our life in a crisis.
However, there is a difference between run-of-the-mill anxiety and an anxiety disorder. If anxiety symptoms don’t go away or are interfering with your day-to-day life on a consistent basis, you may benefit from speaking to a licensed therapist.
While anxiety disorders can significantly impact your physical and mental health, they are also highly treatable. Through talk therapy, medication, coping mechanisms, or some combination, a licensed professional can help you alleviate your symptoms and regain calm and stability in your life.
If you’re ready to speak with a mental health professional and reduce your anxiety, our team is standing by at Thriveworks Counseling in San Bernardino, CA.
What Does an Anxiety Disorder Look Like?
Anxiety can take many forms and may look different for each person who experiences it. Some of the most common symptoms include:
- General uneasy feeling
- Panic attacks
- Increased heart rate
- Agitation and irritability
- Fatigue
- Excessive worrying
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Muscle tension
- Restlessness
- Changes in eating patterns
- Self-imposed social isolation
The exact symptoms you experience can differ depending on the type of anxiety disorder you’re experiencing. For example, those struggling with generalized anxiety disorder may have trouble concentrating, worry excessively, or tend to anticipate the worst possible outcomes. By contrast, people with panic disorder may undergo terrifying panic attacks where they feel like they could faint or have a heart attack.
While anxiety disorders can feel scary, they are highly treatable. At Thriveworks Counseling in San Bernardino, CA we offer effective treatment for anxiety, depression, and many other mental and emotional disorders.
How Do You Treat Anxiety?
Mental illnesses can be caused by traumatic life experiences, genetics, childhood events, chemical imbalances, and many other contributing factors. As a result, diagnosis and treatment of anxiety can be fairly complex. Your therapist or counselor will take time to assess your symptoms and understand your situation before creating a personalized treatment plan.
Treatment options often involve talk therapy, prescribed medication, or a combination of the two. There are many different types of therapy that are used to treat anxiety symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is among the most common. It is used to uncover negative thinking patterns that may be worsening your anxiety and determine adjustments you can make to have the opposite effect.
Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, is a modified version of CBT that teaches clients skills to deal with uncomfortable emotions without resorting to harmful behaviors. By learning new skills like mindfulness, self-soothing, distress tolerance, and more, clients are empowered to take control of their own recovery process under the guidance of a trained professional.
While CBT and DBT are helpful for many forms of anxiety, others — like social anxiety, PTSD, and phobias — are sometimes treated more effectively by exposure therapy. With this form of treatment, a client takes small steps under a therapist’s supervision to disarm their body’s anxiety response and work through feelings that might otherwise be overwhelming.
Throughout sessions, your counselor or therapist might also teach you relaxation techniques that you can use when you’re feeling anxious. These may include deep breathing and meditation exercises or progressive muscle relaxation techniques.
Are you ready to experience the benefits of therapy for anxiety first-hand? If so, consider reaching out to our team at Thriveworks in San Bernardino, CA to schedule an appointment.
Schedule a Thriveworks Appointment — Therapy for Anxiety in San Bernardino, CA
At Thriveworks Counseling we know the idea of visiting a counseling center can be overwhelming, especially when you’re already experiencing anxiety. That’s why we strive to make obtaining essential mental health services as simple as possible. Simply click our booking widget or give us a call and we can often get you a same-day or next-day appointment — even on evenings and weekends!
Here are some additional advantages you receive when you enroll with Thriveworks Counseling:
- Simple app-based billing and scheduling
- Communicate with your therapist or counselor between appointments by email or phone
- Exclusive video content
- 24-hour Q&A with a life improvement coach
- Community discussion boards
If you are ready to overcome symptoms of anxiety and live a healthier and more fulfilling life, licensed therapists at Thriveworks Counseling in San Bernardino, CA are here to help. Get in touch with us today to make an appointment.
