Do You Feel An Inexplicable Sense Of Dread, Fear, Or Worry In Life?

Do you or your child experience feelings of overwhelm for no discernible reason? Do you or your child often feel agitated or on-edge? Are you or your child uncharacteristically nervous about mounting expectations from work or school?

Maybe worry has prevented you from enjoying the hard-won fruits of your labor. Perhaps this feeling has interfered with your ability to set and accomplish goals because you’ve become afraid to try for fear of failure. Not to mention, as you struggle to set goals, your self-esteem may suffer because you now have fewer wins that validate your strengths.

Anxiety can be frustrating and all-consuming. It can range from feelings of anxiousness during normal life events to crippling anxiety that causes panic attacks. Common examples of anxiety include social anxiety, phobias, PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder to name a few.

How do you know if you are experiencing anxiety? You may feel nervous, restless, tense, weak, or sluggish. Additionally, you might struggle to focus on more than the present issue at-hand. Or your body may show symptoms such as sweating, heavy breathing, or an increased heart rate.

As you experience symptoms of anxiety, your life can reflect this internal discord. Perhaps you become less productive at work, home, or school due to lack of focus. Or your body may respond to anxiety with sleep problems, memory loss, a weakened immune system or a feeling like you are having cardiovascular issues.

If you suffer from anxiety, there is hope for a better tomorrow. Professional treatment with an anxiety counselor can help you cultivate the tools to normalize your life experiences and build the coping skills to manage stress.

Anxiety Is Something We All Struggle With

We all experience anxiety—from the stress of studying for a semester-defining exam grade to starting a meaningful relationship to investing in a new home. Yet this common sensation of worry can become a threat to our well-being when we continuously experience it long-term.

For those of us who suffer acutely from anxiety, we may struggle with symptoms that stem from a wide variety of sources. Perhaps our brain chemistry has predisposed us to reacting strongly to stress, and we tip the scale toward a more serious, anxiety-inducing response to it. Or maybe we struggle with the loss of control that subsequently triggers feelings of anxiety, panic attacks, or a disorder. We may also engage in anxious responses to what is happening in our environments. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, the vast majority of us have struggled with some loss of control or element of unforeseen stress that usually manifests in symptoms of anxiety.

Overcoming anxiety can be a challenge. You may believe that only time, prayer, and self-help can alleviate your stressors. And while these tools may work for the short-term, no true do-it-yourself cure-all exists to fully treat anxiety. In addition, you may fear the negative stigma that sometimes surrounds mental health. You possibly fear judgement from others and don’t want to appear weak. You fear your pain will be used against you. Perhaps there is concern that your social support lacks the empathy to address your struggles.

Overall, society has become more accepting of the struggles we face as human beings, and counseling can help you heal without the weight of judgment you may feel from others and perhaps even yourself. Treatment offers the supportive guidance you need to overcome your anxiety.

Anxiety Treatment Can Help You Take Back Your Life

Maybe you’ve felt you were going “crazy” or that if you shared your fears with a friend, they would judge you. Fortunately, seeking help is one of the most sane things you can do–it illustrates esteem for yourself and the potential you carry to exist healed in this world. Anxiety therapy offers a safe space to get honest about your experiences and how they’ve impacted your life.

Treatment starts with a standard intake process where we ask you to fill out paperwork to learn more about your background, why you’ve decided to seek help, and your goals for anxiety therapy. During the first session, we will review your paperwork and go over information concerning your right to privacy and what you can expect throughout the treatment process. From there, we will develop an anxiety treatment plan that can be adjusted as needed.

Throughout the course of counseling, we will look at different areas of your life to better understand the source(s) of your anxiety. We will explore lifestyle choices such as exercise, nutrition, and sleep.

We may also explore aspects of your emotional life. For example, topics of discussion may include how you connect with others, relationship pressures, and your family background, among others. I’ll collaborate with you to understand what is your self-narrative? Do you judge yourself or others? What role do religion and spirituality play in your life? Do you feel you live purposefully? As we get a sense of your needs, we will likely work toward developing self-care practices and how to cultivate an emotional reserve to draw from in times of stress. Our work in sessions can help you identify past, present, and future triggers that contribute to symptoms of anxiety. From here, we can focus on developing healthy ways to address these symptoms and their root cause(s).

We utilize a number of evidence-based modalities that can offer healthy, long-term solutions to your struggles. Modalities such as Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help transform negative thoughts and emotions into more positive ones so that when stressed, you can respond more constructively to it, albeit with less anxiety. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) brings together two opposing ideas—acceptance and change—to address anxiety. Acceptance offers reassurance that your experience has impacted you. Our therapeutic approach may also draw from additional modalities such as expressive therapy, family systems therapy, and play therapy.

Using a combination of these approaches, we can help you change how you respond to stress by building more effective coping skills to manage your anxiety. At Elevate Counseling, we create an encouraging environment where you can voice your frustrations and challenges living with anxiety. Our compassionate approach can help you name issues, evaluate your coping skills, and develop better ways to manage and overcome stress.

For more than 25 years, collectively, we’ve helped a wide variety of individuals accept their present circumstances and patiently work through them. We can work with you to create a skill set that calms your anxiety and helps give you access to your true potential.

Maybe you still have questions about anxiety treatment…

Saying “I have anxiety” makes me feel like something is wrong with me.

To acknowledge this is healthy and we encourage you to accept your anxiety. Society doesn’t always embrace our shortcomings, so you may understandably carry some of this stigma with you as you seek help.

One of the tools that we use in the treatment of anxiety, however, focuses on this idea: that you can both accept what you feel while simultaneously working toward change. This is the central premise of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. The truth is that by seeking help you are joining many people who have found the courage to rise above certain societal misconceptions, and heal themselves.

I am afraid of trying something new.

For many who struggle with anxiety, new experiences can be stressful. This feeling is normal. Yet by confronting your fear, you are taking a giant leap forward toward healing. Confronting your challenges even in the midst of what may seem like a painful echo chamber is exactly how you take steps toward overcoming anxiety. You are on the right track, and therapy can offer you the support you need to recover.

I’m not sure I can afford your fee.

Many of our clients use health insurance to cover the cost of anxiety treatment and thus pay only a copayment or deductible. Please give us a call to learn if we work with your health insurance provider.

Release Anxiety To Tap Into Your Full Capabilities

You deserve to experience an inner calm that can radiate outward and positively impact all other areas of your life. If you’re ready to take the next step toward a fuller, less stressed existence, we invite you to give us a call at 508-297-1491, or contact us through our online inquiry page to see how we can help.

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