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Feeling Overwhelmed by Anxiety?
We all experience anxiety from time to time. It’s an essential and normal emotional experience. However, sometimes anxiety can be so great that it begins to seriously impact or even dominate a person’s life. Anxiety disorders include Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Acute Stress Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, and Panic Disorder. For more information about these disorders please visit The National Institute of Mental Health.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
A person with GAD experiences excessive anxiety and worry about a number of events or activities (such as work or school performance) and may endure some or all of the following: restlessness or feeling “keyed up” or “on edge”; being easily tired; difficulty concentrating or mind “going blank”; irritability; muscle tension or pain; and sleep disturbance.
Panic Disorder
Someone who suffers from Panic Disorder experiences panic attacks, which are distinct periods of intense or “rushing” fear with at least four physical or emotional symptoms (e.g., pounding heart or accelerated heart rate; sweating; trembling or shaking; shortness of breath or feeling smothered/choking; chest pain or discomfort; nausea or stomach pain; feeling dizzy or lightheaded; fear of dying; fear of losing control; numbness; chills or hot flashes; and feeling “detached” from oneself or reality). Notably, Panic Disorder can occur with or without agoraphobia, which is a fear of being in places where escape might be difficult or embarrassing.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
People with OCD have obsessive thoughts and/or compulsive behaviors. Obsessive thoughts are usually unwanted, intrusive, and difficult to control. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts done in an attempt to reduce anxiety or prevent some dreaded event. People with OCD realize that their obsessions or compulsions are excessive and unreasonable; they cause great discomfort and interfere with the person’s academic, work, or social life.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Someone with PTSD has been exposed to a traumatic event, to which they responded with fear, helplessness, or horror. They present with some or all of these signs: recurrent and intrusive trauma thoughts; distressing dreams or flashbacks (triggered by sights, sounds, smells, certain people, or situations); distress at exposure to trauma cues; avoidance of trauma reminders; memory lapses; feelings of detachment from others; sense of loss or hopelessness for the future; difficulty falling or staying asleep; being easily startled or “jumpy”; anger or irritability; difficulty concentrating; emotional “numbness” (especially toward close family).
Phobias
A phobia is a marked and persistent fear that is excessive or unreasonable. It is cued by the presence or anticipation of a specific object or situation (e.g., tests, performing in front of others, flying, heights, animals, seeing blood, etc.). The person recognizes the fear as unreasonable, but is unable to control their anxious anticipation, distress, or tendency to avoid the feared object or situation.
Individuals may endure other anxieties depending on life experiences and transitions. For example, one may have an intense fear of failure or success as they near a graduation date, have an intense fear of dying following a family member’s bout of sickness, or experience chronic culture shock when relocating to a new city – to name a few.
If you or someone you know struggles with clinical anxiety, good news…treatment is available! Qualified counselors can help by uncovering underlying issues to anxiety, offering feedback, suggesting techniques (e.g., relaxation, nutrition and lifestyle changes, promote positive thinking), and providing specific referrals. Medical doctors can also assess for possible physical causes that may influence or mimic anxiety symptoms. Psychiatrists can prescribe short-term anti-anxiety medications (following psychological assessment and diagnosis confirmation by a qualified psychologist). If any of these disorders or symptoms cause impairment in your home life, academic or job environment, or relationships with others, do not hesitate to get the help you need. You’re not always going to be able to control what goes on outside you, but today can be the day you start to control what happens inside.
Counseling for anxiety disorders can help you to achieve the following goals:
Manage your mood
Learn effective coping skills
Combat negative thinking
Feel better about yourself
Reduce stress
Improve communication
Achieve personal growth
Learn new and more effective behaviors
Understand yourself and others better
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, many people combine therapy with medication, lifestyle changes, or medical care, depending on their needs and preferences. Your therapist can collaborate with other providers, with your permission, to support a more coordinated plan.
The goal is not to erase anxiety completely, but to help it feel more manageable so it doesn’t run your life. Therapy focuses on building tools, self-compassion, and flexibility so you can move toward what matters to you, even when anxiety shows up.
Counseling can help you understand your anxiety triggers, learn grounding and coping skills, and gently challenge unhelpful thought patterns. Many people also find it helpful to have a safe space to talk about the pressures they’re facing at home, work, or school.
Therapists at Focus Forward work with generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic, health anxiety, and anxiety related to life stressors or trauma. Together, you can explore both the thoughts and body sensations that keep anxiety going.
It may be time to seek support when worry, nervousness, or panic begin to interfere with sleep, work, school, or relationships, or when your body feels “on edge” most of the time. Many people come in when anxiety starts to limit activities they used to enjoy.