The popular author Brene Brown says that when people feel vulnerable, they “dress-rehearse tragedy.” This kind of catastrophic thinking–anticipating the worst that can happen–can play a key role in anxiety. It doesn’t matter how safe or sheltered you are; anyone can experience anxiety. Famous rock stars might suffer from an anxiety attack before a show. Or a rich and powerful person might feel anxious leaving the house. Anxiety may comprise part of the body’s natural fight or flight response to perceived danger, but when your worries are excessive, irrational, or persistent, they can disrupt daily life, and even harm your body over time.
Anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Taylorsville, UT are here to help their clients gain control of their anxious feelings and behaviors. Using proven, evidence-based techniques, our anxiety counselors can help guide individuals toward recovery from anxiety, helping them achieve enduring calm and well-being.
What Causes Anxiety Disorders and Panic Attacks?
Psychologists don’t know exactly what causes anxiety, but they can narrow it down to three factors:
- Genetic
- Environmental
- Neurochemical
Maybe someone has anxiety because they can’t stop reliving a traumatic event in their past. Maybe someone has anxiety because they have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the behavior of the colon is connected to the nervous system. Maybe someone has anxiety because they’re a perfectionist and don’t tolerate mistakes or failure. Though anxiety manifests in similar ways, root causes can be very different.
Sometimes people are already aware of what triggers their anxiety, like being in a crowd. Other people need help deciphering the causes of anxious feelings and panic attacks alongside a professional. Anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Taylorsville, UT are fully licensed and highly trained to help individuals understand what factors may lead to fear and worry, and what can be done to help allay those feelings.
Chronic Anxiety’s Damaging Effects on the Body
Chronic anxiety can take a lasting toll on the human body. People often show up at their primary care doctor’s office or sometimes even at the emergency room with physical complaints that may actually be caused by underlying anxiety. The following symptoms can sometimes indicate anxiety:
- Compromised immune system
- Concentration problems
- Difficulty making decisions
- Hypertension
- Hypochondria (irrational fear that you have a disease)
- Headaches and migraines
- Depression
- Unintentional weight changes
- Sleep problems
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Racing heart
What Psychological Treatments Can Help with Anxiety?
Fortunately, anxiety is highly treatable when you book an appointment with one of the highly trained anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Taylorsville, UT. Our counselors may use one or a variety of the following therapeutic approaches to address your excessive fears and worries:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which focuses on changing maladaptive thought patterns and beliefs
- Biofeedback, which focuses on subtle neurological modifications
- Psychotherapy, which uses the personal interaction between you and your therapist to help overcome your anxiety
- Art and music therapy, which treats anxious feelings through creativity
- Medication prescribed by a psychiatrist, which addresses underlying neurochemistry
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), which focuses on bilateral movement to help process trauma
- Exposure therapy, which aims to systematically desensitizes individuals to triggers
Many of these therapies can be conducted online as well as in-person. Thriveworks anxiety counselors use secure, HIPAA-compliant, telehealth technology to meet with their clients virtually when it’s more convenient or conducive to recovery.
What Kind of Anxiety Do I Have?
Anxiety typically presents itself as one of the following types:
- Social anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
An anxiety therapist at Thriveworks in Taylorsville, UT will give you a full assessment and evaluate your symptoms before diagnosing you with one type of anxiety or another. Our mental health providers will also want to rule out physical causes for your anxiety, like hormone issues, diet (coffee and alcohol consumption), or other medications you’re taking.
Schedule Your Session with an Anxiety Therapist at Thriveworks in Taylorsville, UT
You can get help for your anxiety by calling the Thriveworks office in Taylorsville, UT. We open early and stay open late so you can reach a human being, not a voicemail, when you call to enroll in our full suite of mental health services, including licensed psychiatry. Our fully licensed therapists pride themselves on their availability. You can access them by phone or email between your comprehensive sessions. After enrolling at Thriveworks, you also benefit from our Ask-a-Coach 24hr Q&A and exclusive educational materials like e-books and videos.
Call today and be seen by an anxiety therapist as early as tomorrow or the next day. Everyone deserves to receive the professional support they need. And health insurance covers most therapy sessions, making them highly affordable. We look forward to helping you!
