What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is another word for fear. You may describe it as “nervousness.” We all go through it from time to time, sometimes when there is nothing to be afraid of. When you feel anxious from time to time, it is nothing to be concerned about. Some people, however, feel anxious most of the time, even about small things. And it can become paralyzing because of obsessive thoughts about the anxiety itself. Of course, this kind of paralysis can throw up obstacles at school, at work, and at home.
Anxiety Counseling
Anxiety counseling helps you effectively calm anxiety storms. When anxiety comes up too often, or is present most of the time, people get into a pattern of responding to even minor situations with anxiety. Our work helps you overcome those anxiety-laced thoughts and behaviors by replacing them with less problematic ones.
Regardless of what kind of anxious energy you experience, we will look at what triggers it, then plan how to manage it.
Managing Anxiety
Once we’ve identified the thoughts and experiences that trigger your anxiety, we will move into solving the problem. Gaining insight into anxiousness gives you the power to overcome it and make it a thing of the past.
Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is extremely effective in calming anxiety storms. It teaches you to recognize the different layers of your experience and how to deal with each of them effectively.
Questions about Anxiety Counseling
Why do I feel anxious so much?
When you are experiencing anxiety, your body is simply trying to prepare you to fight or flee (Fight or Flight response). It prepares you by giving you extra energy and by helping you notice what is around you in more detail. This is great when there is truly a threat nearby, but when fight-or-flight is triggered by normal things, it becomes distracting, even paralyzing.
Do I have to take meds?
Not usually, but this is a question for a medical doctor, ideally a psychiatrist. Most people are able to manage anxiety through talk therapy and the skills they learn there. Meditation, breathing exercises, and reality testing are three things that you’ll learn in counseling for anxiety.
If medication is needed, research shows that your anxiety is three times more likely to resolve if you also do talk-therapy to explore those anxious feelings.
Sometimes I’m so scared that I think I am about to die. Am I?
Probably not, but you are never wrong to call 9-1-1 if you think you are in danger. Emergency Rooms are familiar with how to treat panic attacks because many people think they may be having a heart attack. Anxiety attacks are when you feel very scared, but not like you are going to die. Panic attacks, however, may make you feel like your life is in danger. Anxiety and panic counseling helps you learn to slow your heart rate down, relax your breathing, and gain better perspective on what is going on. Most times you are not actually in danger, but again, if you aren’t sure, go ahead and call 9-1-1.
If you are having regular panic attacks, talking to both a psychiatrist and to a counselor that specializes in anxiety is recommended to help you calm those panic attacks.
What makes anxiety and panic happen? Why is it so intense?
Fear is a survival mechanism that causes your body to produce cortisol, adrenaline, testosterone, and other endorphins that make your body and mind go into high gear (fight-or-flight). The intensity is the experience of being in that high-gear state. But when there is nowhere to direct all of that energy, things don’t make sense and you may get focused on your physical experiences like a fast heartbeat, sweating, and trembling inside and outside of your body. Of course, this seems to make things even worse as your mind frantically looks for something to validate the anxiety.
Can it be fixed or cured?
Anxiety isn’t a disease that needs to be “cured.” It is a survival mechanism that needs to be managed using the skills an experienced anxiety therapist can give you. But yes, anxiety can be effectively managed if you regularly practice the skills your counselor gives you for managing anxiety and panic.
Are there different kinds of anxiety?
Yes. The different types of anxiety include (but are not limited to):
- General Anxiety
- Social Anxiety
- Performance Anxiety
- Relationship Anxiety
- Etc.
Jonathan F. Anderson, LCMHC, LPC-s
Jonathan is dually licensed in North Carolina as a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC, formerly LPC) and in Texas as a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-s). He completed his Bachelor‘s degree at the University of Texas, Austin, in 1994, and his Master’s Degree at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, in 1997. Jonathan has been a leader in the teletherapy industry for over 20-years. He has written telephone counseling training protocols for an international teletherapy provider and was the lead trainer at the same organization. Jonathan has completed Level II of the rigorous Gottman Method of Couples Counseling, and is recognized as an advanced provider of Critical Incident Stress Debriefing and Management. He is happy to be able to apply his expertise of online and telephone counseling to his trauma response and to all of his counseling services.