Does your anxiety interfere with your daily life, interrupting your work, home life, or social relationships?  

Do you ever experience the following?

  • “I’m always worrying about something and can’t seem to stop.”

  • “I always seem to find something to worry about. When one thing is taken care of, I find something else to worry about.”

  • “I go to sleep but my mind won’t turn off.”

  • “At times I get suddenly panicked for no reason. My heart races and I want to leave the situation immediately.”

  • “I do things over and over again like wash my hands or check things. I know it’s silly but I feel very anxious if I don’t do them.”

If you answered yes to any of the above, you may be experiencing some form of anxiety. Anxiety and fear are normal emotions. However, they are also some of the most uncomfortable emotions that we have and can produce highly unpleasant  physical sensations as well.

The anxiety response is a normal response that our bodies produce in the face of danger, but without an obvious reason to be anxious, it can be a very distressing experience. Interestingly, we are not able to feel high levels of anxiety without the participation of our nervous system. This response is part of the flight/fight mechanism which is mediated by the sympathetic part of the nervous system. When the brain sends a signal to the nervous system that we are in danger, the body quickly produces energy to enable us to survive. However, if you’re trying to get to sleep, shopping for groceries, or driving to work, this type of physical response can be extremely uncomfortable and confusing. What’s worse, another part of our brain decides that something must be wrong for our bodies to act this way when there’s no obvious danger, so that message further fuels the flight or fight response.

A psychologist providing psychotherapy services can assist individuals struggling with anxiety by teaching strategies to calm the physiological stress response and help the anxious person feel more in control of him or herself. Psychotherapy can also identify triggers and exacerbating factors that either begin or worsen the anxiety, and help reduce the likelihood that this type of response will occur.

If you would like assistance with managing anxiety or want to determine whether your concerns could be helped with psychotherapy, contact my office for an initial consultation and I can help you identify the best course of action in treating your anxiety.

Asking for help can be hard, but you deserve to feel better and sometimes we need the support and guidance of a professional to help us find our way.