Anxiety
Anxiety is a normal response that everyone experiences from time to time. It’s the body’s way of preparing for potential danger, so it makes us more alert. Although anxiety can be helpful in some situations, when it becomes excessive it can interfere with daily life.
Understanding your anxiety experience is the first step to managing it.
Common Symptoms
Anxiety can manifest in our thoughts, feelings, behaviors and physical sensations. Here is a list of some of the most common symptoms of anxiety:
Feeling nervous, restless or on edge
Increased heart rate
Breathing rapidly or shortness of breath
Sweating
Difficulty concentrating
Trouble sleeping
Gastrointestinal (GI) problems
Difficulty controlling worry
Avoidance of things that trigger anxiety
The Cycle of Anxiety
The cycle of anxiety can be overwhelming. It begins with a triggering event (such as a stressful situation, intrusive thought, or fear) and is followed by anxious thoughts and physical symptoms. Interestingly, these physical sensations can worsen the anxiety! Sometimes, people try to manage the anxiety by engaging in avoidance and/ or reassurance behaviors. Examples of avoidant behaviors include: not going to social gatherings, avoiding activities that may trigger distressing bodily sensations, and avoiding unsettling conversations. Examples of reassurance behaviors: asking a family member to constantly affirm that you made the right choice, asking your doctor to repeat lab tests just to make sure they are accurate, constantly repeating to yourself “nothing bad is going to happen.” Although these behaviors may bring short term relief, they ultimately reinforce anxiety. The more the cycle repeats, the stronger the anxiety becomes.
Breaking this cycle can be intimidating. But evidence-based techniques can help retrain your brain and body to break the cycle of anxiety. Let’s do this together!
Anxiety-Related Experiences I can help with:
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Experiencing persistent and excessive worry.
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Experiencing sudden intense fear or discomfort, often accompanied by physical symptoms.
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Fear and/or avoidance of social situations due to concerns about being judged or embarrassed.
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Experiencing unwanted intrusive thoughts (obsessions) followed by repetitive actions (compulsions) that are done to try to prevent or reduce the obsession.
*Please note, I am not an OCD specialist and will provide referrals if you require a higher level of care
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Experiencing intense irrational fear of specific objects or situations.
Examples include: fear of dogs, heights, flying.
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Experiencing excessive worry related to your health or to developing a serious illness despite medical evidence.
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Experiencing emotional or psychological stress after a distressing event.
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Your body’s response to pressure or demands. Sometimes, stress is related to an identifiable goal.
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Experiencing emotional and physical exhaustion caused by long term exposure to stress.
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Experiencing persistent self doubt or fear of being exposed as a fraud despite your achievements.
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Setting unrealistic expectations and/or being overly critical of your mistakes.