The author Wayne Dyer once stated, “The truth is that there is no actual stress or anxiety in the world; it’s your thoughts that create these false beliefs. You can’t package stress, touch it, or see it. There are only people engaged in stressful thinking.” It’s true that anxiety is intangible, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a ton of power. Anxiety can keep people locked away in their homes instead of experiencing the world. It can cause physical symptoms like digestive issues and headaches. It can result in repetitive behaviors and fixations. Just because you can’t touch something doesn’t mean it can’t dominate your daily life. But fortunately, there’s help for people with anxiety.
The licensed anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Tallahassee, FL can treat anxiety with compassion, insight, and expertise. The mental health professionals at Thriveworks are trained to uncover the origins of anxiety and reduce anxiety symptoms with specialized approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Each client is treated as an individual, not a diagnosis. This means that different types of therapy are tailored to each client’s personal goals and needs. If you’re looking for a treatment plan that can immediately address the root causes of your anxiety, Thriveworks mental health providers can help.
Can I Go to a Family Doctor for Anxiety?
Sadly, many mental illnesses and mental health conditions are misdiagnosed at the general physician’s office. Family doctors don’t typically have specialized training in diagnosing, treating, and helping to prevent anxiety disorders. People show up in emotional distress, or with symptoms like the following, and the family physician doesn’t recognize the source as anxiety:
- Restlessness
- Muscle tension
- Agitation
- Racing thoughts
- Shortness of breath
- Disturbed sleep
- Appetite changes
- Nausea
- Quality of being easily tired
- Gastrointestinal issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Attention or concentration difficulties
- Irritability
- Migraines
Thriveworks mental health providers like the psychiatrists (MDs), psychologists (PhDs or PsyDs), social workers (LSWs or LMSWs), licensed professional counselors (LPCs), psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs), and licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) who work in the Tallahassee, FL office, often have extensive experience in recognizing anxiety and identifying successful treatment strategies that best suit their clients.
What Therapy Is Good for Anxiety?
There are a number of evidence-based treatment approaches that Thriveworks mental health providers in Tallahassee, FL use to treat anxiety successfully. These approaches include the following:
- CBT
- Exposure therapy, especially for specific phobias of objects or situations (also called systematic desensitization)
- Strength-based therapies
- Person-centered therapies
- Emotion-focused therapy
- Mindfulness training
- Trauma-informed therapy
- Anxiety medications like antidepressants, prescribed by a licensed Thriveworks psychiatrist
- Relaxation techniques
- Supportive-expressive therapy
- Biofeedback
- Support groups
- Substance abuse and addiction counseling
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR)
- Lifestyle recommendations
- Stress management
- Meditation
- Family therapy or couples counseling
Does CBT Therapy Actually Work in the Long Run?
Cognitive behavioral therapy has a high success rate in treating anxiety in the long-term. It works by identifying then modifying the thought patterns that lead to anxiety. For example, someone who has social anxiety might use their time in therapy to examine their beliefs about worst case scenarios. Through cognitive restructuring with a licensed Thriveworks therapist, the client can retrain their brain to think in more adaptive ways.
What Types of Anxiety Disorders Are There?
There are many different types of anxiety disorders, though their symptoms can overlap. Only a qualified mental health professional like those at Thriveworks in Tallahassee, FL can accurately diagnose anxiety disorders. Once a client has a diagnosis, they can begin successful treatment. Anxiety disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) include the following:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which causes significant distress
- Panic disorder, which involves brief, acute episodes called panic attacks
- Social anxiety disorder (social phobia), which causes significant distress in social situations
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which is characterized by mental fixations and repetitive behaviors
- Separation anxiety, which involves the fear of being separated from one’s attachment figures
- Specific phobias, which includes claustrophobia, the fear of enclosed spaces
- Agoraphobia, which involves a fear that you can’t escape your surroundings
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is a response to a traumatic event
- Selective mutism, which can render a person incapable of speech
Get Anxiety Support from a Licensed Therapist at Thriveworks in Tallahassee, FL
The licensed anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Tallahassee FL can meet with clients quickly and affordably with care of the highest quality. Thriveworks accepts most major health insurance plans. New clients can often meet with their provider within 24-48 hours. And Thriveworks providers are recruited from the top 4% of applicants. In addition, Thriveworks clients can meet with their therapist in online counseling sessions or in-person at the modern office in Tallahassee.
You can call the Thriveworks office today during extended office hours to reach a human being, not a voicemail, who can answer your questions and get you started on your path toward greater wellbeing. We look forward to working with you.
