Anxiety

"Mattie sat at the table, obsessing, orbiting around herself. She was sick of her worried, hostile mind. It would have killed her long before, she felt, if it hadn’t needed the transportation."

Anne Lamott

What is it like to have anxiety?

Anxiety is like having an agitated, nagging companion telling you that everything is going wrong or about to go wrong. Anxiety has physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral dimensions:

Physical

• feeling "keyed up," restless, agitated

• nausea, stomachaches, or changes in appetite

• muscle tension

• changes in heart rate and breathing

• panic attacks: frightening chest sensations, feeling unable to breathe, hot or cold flashes, uncontrollable crying

Mental

• frequent worry about everything and everyone

• frequent worry about certain things in particular (such as your relationships, your health, your safety, your performance at work or school, etc.)

• mental images of bad things happening

• trying to plan for every possibility

• racing thoughts, feeling out of control of your thoughts

• anxious thoughts about your anxiety: "I can't take this," "This is going to kill me," etc.

Emotional

• nervousness, feeling jittery

• apprehension, dread

• panic

• desperation

• irritation, frustration, anger

Behavioral

• the urge to avoid, escape, or control

• feeling paralyzed, unable to act

• procrastinating

• an overwhelming need to get away, get out, hide, or disappear

• shutting down

• endless planning, reviewing, and questioning

• controlling; trying to eliminate all uncertainty and prevent any unexpected events

How do you treat anxiety?

Every client is different, but therapy for anxiety often includes:

• Exploring the origin of anxious thoughts, fears, triggers, and reactions

• Increasing awareness of how anxiety waxes and wanes

• Skills and strategies for managing anxiety, such as mindfulness, breathing techniques, grounding (using the five senses to redirect attention), and self-care

• Learning to catch anxious thought spirals and stop getting swept away by these thoughts

• Exploring your current strategies for managing anxiety, and identifying which ones are "workable" and which ones are "unworkable." For example, some degree of planning and reassurance-seeking might be helpful. In some situations, it might make sense to put off a task while you focus on reducing the intensity of your anxiety. On the other hand, if you rely too much on these strategies, they can trap you in a cycle of anxiety and avoidance.

• Setting small, manageable goals for "facing your fears"

• Reducing the impact of anxiety on your daily life and activities

• Helping you communicate with others about your anxiety

If this sounds helpful to you, visit the Contact page to schedule an appointment. I would be honored to work with you.