Anxiety
Anxiety and worry are common emotions that most of us experience from time to time. In fact, anxiety is a normal reaction to a stressful situation. However, when anxiety is persistent, when it gets in the way of the ability to function well at school, work and in social situations, it can make sense to get help managing it. You don’t need to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder to get assistance in developing tools to use in stressful situations and make life easier.
We all have a sympathetic nervous system, which basically gears up our “fight or flight” instinct. We also have a parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for returning the body back to regular functioning. When we feel anxiety, our sympathetic nervous systems jump in to protect us. Through the use of the intervention that is right for you, for many that is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), you can learn to engage your parasympathetic nervous system in order to calm down and access the logical part of your brain, which will let you know that there is no real danger present. Practicing this can help you realize that a situation or event isn’t as scary as you think it will be, and it will become easier to participate in those activities.
Some signs that a person may have an anxiety disorder include excessive worrying, feeling agitated (racing pulse, sweaty hands), restlessness (feeling on edge, having an urge to move), fatigue (a surprising one as anxiety is generally associated with hyperactivity), difficulty concentrating, irritability, having tense muscles, trouble falling or staying asleep, panic attacks, avoiding social situations (social anxiety) and irrational fears (phobias). If any of this sounds familiar, you may want to get an evaluation and look at treatment options.
Whether you are experiencing some anxiety that makes certain aspects of life uncomfortable or you may have an anxiety disorder, feel free to reach out to discuss the situation. We can review what is going on, go over treatment options that could be useful, and potentially make life a bit easier. After all, who doesn’t want life to be a bit easier?