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Anxiety Therapy

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What is Anxiety?
Symptoms of Anxiety
Causes of Anxiety
How Teletherapy Can Help You With Your Anxiety

Anxiety is a sense of uneasiness, nervousness, or dread that may occur before certain events. Get professional anxiety counseling & therapy today with CHE.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a sense of uneasiness, nervousness, or dread that may occur before certain events (such as public speaking or unfamiliar situations) or that may feel more general--often invading and coloring your whole life. A certain level of anxiety can be healthy, helping keep us alert and aware; however, if anxiety becomes so overwhelming and debilitating that it prevents you from engaging in and enjoying your life, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder. Acute anxiety can feel terrible--people report feeling panicky, unable to breathe, and a general sense of foreboding. Chronic anxiety often feels as though you are always waiting for the next shoe to drop, never able to relax, and always on edge. Panic attacks are not uncommon for those suffering from anxiety.

There are several types of anxiety disorders. Some of the most common are:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Panic Disorder
Agoraphobia
Separation Anxiety Disorder
Specific Phobias
Anxiety Disorders Due to a Medical Condition

Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety can be acute, chronic, or both. Symptoms vary between people, but some symptoms of anxiety include:

Generalized worry
Inability to relax
Insomnia (inability to sleep)
Fear
Feeling nervous, restless or tense
A sense of impending danger or doom
Panic and panic attacks
Somatic symptoms such as heart palpitations (increased heartbeat), sweating, gastrointestinal problems, trembling, and breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
Trouble concentrating or shifting attention to things other than your present worry
Perseveration -- thoughts running round and round as if on a hamster wheel
Intense, persistent worry that feels excessive
Avoiding things that trigger anxiety

Like all psychological conditions, anxiety disorders are complex and manifest in different ways. If you find yourself identifying with any of the symptoms above, teletherapy can be helpful.

Causes of Anxiety

There are many known contributors to anxiety, and oftentimes, it is a combination of factors responsible. Some known contributing factors are:

Trauma

People who have experienced abuse, trauma, or witnessed traumatic events are at a higher risk for developing an anxiety disorder. Children who experience abuse have a higher incidence of anxiety disorders later in life. Adults who experience a traumatic event may also develop anxiety.

Stress

People who have high levels of stress often develop anxiety disorders as they are always “on” with no time to relax. This type of constant pressure on the physical, mental, and emotional system can result in feelings of panic, excessive worry, and an inability to quiet our minds. Over time, this type of stress-induced anxiety becomes debilitating.

Medical Conditions

Anxiety has been linked with certain underlying medical conditions. It is also the case that simply having a medical condition can lead to you feeling worried and anxious! Some medical conditions that are associated with an increased risk of anxiety are:

Heart disease
Thyroid issues
Chronic pain
Respiratory disorders such as COPD
Withdrawal from certain medications such as benzodiazepines and antidepressants
Drug misuse or withdrawal from alcohol
As a side effect of certain medications

It is often difficult to isolate whether an anxiety disorder is a result of a medical condition; however, if you have never struggled with feelings of anxiety before you were diagnosed with a certain medical condition or placed on a certain medication, it is important to check with your medical doctor.

Personality Types

Certain personality types are prone to greater levels of anxiety. Many people who identify as “Type A” personalities report increased anxiety. There is some evidence that anxiety may run in families and have a genetic component as well.

Drugs and Alcohol

Drug and alcohol misuse can contribute to or cause anxiety. Withdrawal from both is also a risk factor.

Social Factors

The social world contributes to our mental health. When we are worried about pandemics, our economic security, discrimination and oppression, human rights, and the list goes on...we can easily begin to feel anxious and panicked! Our inner states are often a reflection of the outer world. When the world feels unjust and chaotic, we may experience feelings of heightened anxiety.

How Teletherapy Can Help You With Your Anxiety

In many cases, anxiety responds well to treatment. Depending on the underlying causes, there are multiple treatments that may work:

Psychotherapy

Talk therapy with a trained mental health professional has been shown to be highly effective for those experiencing anxiety. Psychotherapy allows you to work through traumatic events and other feelings you may be experiencing in a safe space with an unbiased therapist. Psychotherapy may help you develop better coping skills, reduce psychological distress, examine past events that may be contributing to your current patterns, change negative thought patterns impacting your well-being, and develop greater freedom for yourself through self-exploration.

There are different types of evidence-based psychotherapy and CHE psychologists utilize varying therapeutic orientations including:

Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Humanistic / Existential
Interpersonal
Eclectic / Integrative
Behavioral
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Teletherapy has been shown to be as effective as in-person psychotherapy for most mental health conditions. It is convenient and easy to simply log in and connect with your therapist.

Psychiatry

At times, you may need to utilize medication to help alleviate acute anxiety or panic. This is not always the case; however, if you find you are experiencing acute anxiety, there are medications that may help in conjunction with psychotherapy.

Lifestyle Changes

Research indicates that lifestyle changes such as engaging in exercise, improving your nutrition, and mindfulness meditation may help in reducing anxiety. Typically, making lifestyle changes works best when combined with psychotherapy.

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Anxiety

Anxiety is a sense of unease, nervousness, or dread that may occur before or during certain events (such as public speaking or unfamiliar situations), or that may be more general--often coloring your whole life. A certain level of anxiety can be healthy, helping keep us alert, aware, and motivating us to solve problems and perform well; however, if anxiety becomes so overwhelming and debilitating that it prevents you from engaging in and enjoying your life, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder.

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Depression

Depression can feel unshakeable - like no matter what you do, you just can't quite feel better. You may feel tired a lot and have little desire to engage in activities you normally enjoy. Often, there may be no clear reason why you started feeling this way. If you identify with these feelings, please know you are not alone. Depression is quite common, and psychotherapy with a qualified clinician can help. You have taken the first step already by asking questions and seeking out services.

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Grief

Grief is a strong, sometimes overwhelming emotion, that stems from a loss. Some examples of loss include the death of a loved one, the ending of a relationship, job loss, or other traumatic experiences of loss. Grief may initially involve feeling numb but may also involve a range of emotions from deep sadness to anger to guilt. While most people will experience a significant loss at some point, grief is a deeply personal experience that feels profound and overtakes one's life. It is important to remember: everyone grieves differently, and there is no right or wrong way to grieve or right or wrong way to feel.

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Stress

Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension that, over time, can wear you down. Stress can be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term) and is often the result of situations that make you feel powerless, frustrated, afraid, or in danger. Small amounts of stress can motivate us to get things done and perform as needed; however, if we are faced with stressors we do not believe we can cope with or long term stress, these can negatively impact mental and physical health.

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Anger

Anger is a normal emotion we all experience. Anger is often an emotion you feel when you perceive someone has deliberately “done you wrong” or when you feel mistreated or injured. People vary greatly as to what makes them angry, how often they feel angry, and how intense the feelings of anger may be. Anger becomes a problem when it becomes so overwhelming that it negatively impacts your relationships, jobs, legal standing, or your emotional well-being. If you feel you have trouble controlling your anger, this is often an indicator that your anger may be out of your control.

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Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is a person's overall sense of self-worth or personal value. It entails a self-evaluation and one's beliefs and judgments about her/himself. Unhealthy self-esteem occurs when a person feels badly about her/himself and lacks confidence. People with low-self esteem are often more self critical and hard on themselves. If you have low self-esteem, you may find you avoid pursuing meaningful activities or social activities because you feel inferior to others or are worried about rejection. This may lead you to take less initiative in your education or career, prevent you from seeking out meaningful relationships, and be more accepting of poor treatment from your family, friends, and romantic partners.

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Relationship Difficulties

Relationships enhance our lives, but they aren't always easy. Conflicts with partners, spouses, friends, and family members can leave you feeling sad, angry, and frustrated with little idea of how to solve the problem. Examining negative and repetitive relationship patterns can help identify where you may be stuck and move your relationships forward in a way that feels joyful and healthier.

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Trauma

Trauma comes in many forms and can occur when an event or series of events overwhelms the body and psyche's ability to cope, resulting in an inability to move past the trauma. PTSD is the most well-known diagnosis (cluster of symptoms) that can result from severe forms of trauma; however, it is not the only one. Trauma is highly individual and what may be traumatic for one person may not necessarily be for another. If you feel frightened, overwhelmed, and are experiencing constant triggers, teletherapy can help.

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Systemic Oppression and Discrimination

Research consistently shows that our social environment and life experiences have a significant impact on mental health and that groups who suffer social disadvantage, discrimination, and oppression have higher rates of mental distress. Generally speaking, systemic oppression and discrimination occurs when the laws of a society create unequal treatment of specific groups of people (i.e, racial, gender, ethnic, sexuality, physical ability, to name a few). It is the mistreatment of groups of people enforced by the institutions of society. Because it is “systemic,” it can often go unrecognized.

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Other

Life difficulties can manifest in innumerable ways. If you feel you can benefit from support in the service of your mental health, you do not need a specific diagnosis to reach out. Teletherapy can help with any number of life stressors and conditions. Teletherapy is not just for the treatment of a specific disorder, though it can be for that as well. Teletherapy is also for those looking to explore their lives in fuller detail as a way of relieving patterns and symptoms that feel overwhelming and unwanted. Self-growth and understanding are often reasons people seek out therapy - to work on improving their relationships, understanding one's identity and values and living a life consistent with those values, and learning healthy ways to cope with life's inevitable ups and downs.