Are You Consumed By Worrisome Thoughts?
Are you consistently worrying about finances, your career, relationships and more, and doubt that things will work out the way you hope? Perhaps you are preoccupied with your appearance and status and worry that your success doesn’t measure up to that of your peers’ or your own expectations. Do racing and often ruminating thoughts affect your ability to focus, feel motivated and to be present? Perhaps negative, incessant thoughts elicit physical discomforts, such as sweating, a rapid heartbeat, stomach knots and more, making you wonder if something is terribly wrong with you. You may even feel out of control, as if at any moment catastrophe will strike. Perhaps anxiety has begun manifesting through panic attacks, and you don’t feel safe in certain places or situations or even leaving your house. Do you wish you had a better understanding of your experience with anxiety and could acquire the tools you need to help yourself relax and feel at ease?
Living with anxiety can be a frustrating, all-consuming and even sometimes frightening experience. It may be that your anxiety is situational and triggered by a deadline at work or an important test at school. Or, it may have become so severe that it’s impacting all aspects of your life, including your physical wellbeing, causing heart palpations, heavy breathing, nausea, body aches and shakes, chaotic thoughts and even panic attacks that are making completing even simple tasks seemingly impossible. Anxious thoughts, emotions and uncomfortable body sensations all fuel each other, and once the anxiety cycle sets in, it can be nearly impossible to shake. Anxiety symptoms can manifest in many ways and range in severity. You may feel nervous all the time, have difficulty concentrating at work or school and completing everyday tasks. You may even have trouble justifying getting out of bed or leaving your house. Regardless of the range of symptoms or how they are manifesting, you may not understand what is happening to you and feel desperate for relief.
Anxiety Is Extremely Common In Our Culture
If you’re struggling with anxiety, you are not alone. In fact, studies show that roughly 40 million Americans struggle with an anxiety disorder every year, and that’s just those who are diagnosed.
While some people are predisposed to anxiety and grapple with it throughout their lives, others develop it while going through periods of heightened stress. It is common for people to become overwhelmed by unwanted or unexpected circumstances in life. Major life transitions, such as a divorce, career change, a new baby or the loss of a loved one, can cause heavy feelings of stress and grief that spark anxious thoughts, emotions and sensations. And, if those thoughts and sensations go unresolved, pent-up anxious energy may become trapped in your body, making it increasingly difficult to cope and feel relaxed.
People who experience anxiety often feel isolated and misunderstood because it’s uncommon to openly express how we really feel in today’s culture. We are surrounded by images of happiness and success on TV and social media. When someone asks how you are, the automatic response is almost always “good.” While we might not be openly talking about our feelings, everyone encounters bumps in the road and goes through times when help is truly needed. If your anxiety has become unbearable, anxiety counseling can help. You will be able to share your story and explore your innermost concerns and desires with an objective, open-minded anxiety counselor and develop the insight and tools needed to help you relax.
Anxiety Therapy Can Help You Move Forward With Increased Confidence And Ease
Anxiety counseling can be incredibly effective in helping you relax and become empowered to go after what you truly want in life. In safe, confidential, and warm therapy sessions, we will encourage you to be your true, authentic self. Together, we can tease apart what is causing your anxiety and develop tailor-made, unique, experiential approaches to help alleviate it. Within a few sessions, it is possible that you will be able to identify the elements in your life that may be holding you back. From here, we will actively work through obstacles and practice new coping strategies that promote healthier and more realistic ways of thinking about your circumstances.
Our approach to therapy is experimental and interactive. During session, we will give you undivided attention and implement exercises and assignments that are designed to address your unique thoughts, emotions, desires, conflicts and therapy goals. The varied approaches we can explore range from mindfulness, hypnotism, cognitive behavioral therapy and solution focused therapy to drawing, writing and role-playing. Together, we can collaborate to determine which methods effectively help lower your high stress levels and continue to build upon those practices.
Anxiety treatment can help people of all ages and all walks of life find more purpose and pleasure in day-to-day life. We will meet you wherever you are at emotionally and we can move at a pace that feels comfortable for you. we can help you identify and build upon your inherent strengths, which may increase both self-awareness and self-confidence. Throughout the therapy process, you can envision your ideal life and work toward becoming the person you wish to and have the ability to be. It is possible to identify obstacles, weaknesses, and triggers while developing inherent strengths and coping strategies that allow for more peace, calm and fulfillment. You can learn how to effectively navigate and manage stress and move forward feeling balanced and empowered.
You still may have some questions and concerns about counseling for anxiety…
Shouldn’t I be able to manage stress or anxiety on my own?
Stress can be crippling, and anxiety typically does not dispel on its own. Once you are caught up in a cycle of fear, dread and even panic, it can feel impossible to see positive prospects for the future. Plus, if you could overcome anxiety on your own, you probably would have done so by now. What therapy for anxiety offers is the objective guidance and support of an anxiety therapist who understands what you are going through and can provide individualized care that draws on your inherent strengths and enables you to finally experience profound relief.
My anxiety is so severe that I don’t feel able to speak with you.
If you are feeling anxious, it is completely normal to not want to talk about the things that make you anxious. In that regard, seeking out anxiety therapy is an incredibly brave step. And once you are here, we will do our best to provide a space that is welcoming and warm. Your comfort level will always be at the forefront of our work, and we will move at a pace and utilize techniques that feel manageable for you.
How are you able to help if I have no idea what’s causing this?
It is perfectly okay not to understand what is at the root cause of your anxiety. This is something you and your practitioner will be able to explore together, and if we never find out, we can at least provide you with tips and techniques that can effectively help mitigate symptoms and experience relief.
You Can Feel Relaxed, At Ease, And Empowered
If you’re interested in anxiety therapy in Cary, NC, please call our office manger at 919-268-2182 to request a free 15-minute phone consultation. We are happy to answer questions you have about my practice or how counseling for depression and anxiety can address your needs.