There are many symptoms of anxiety.
Do any of these ring a bell?
Constantly worried that you're not doing things well enough
Noticing times when your heart is pounding and your breathing is shallow
Overthinking every decision, even the small ones
Constantly feeling afraid that other people will judge you or think poorly of you
You don’t have to feel this anxious forever.
Living with anxiety can feel like constantly walking on eggshells. Simple tasks may become daunting challenges, and your mind may spiral into a cycle of worry and fear, making it difficult to focus or relax. Despite efforts to rationalize fears, the anxiety persists, impacting relationships, work, and overall well-being.
Even if you've had anxiety for decades, with the right skills, you can learn to control it.
With your therapist, you will learn about what causes your anxiety and how to navigate it. You will develop a toolbox of skills that will allow you to cope with your anxiety when it shows up and reduce it over the long term. With time and commitment, you can learn how to approach challenges with patience, embrace uncertainty with courage, and experience moments of joy without worry.
How We Will Work on Your Anxiety:
Examining Your Thinking
You may not realize that many of your anxiety-provoking thoughts are probably not realistic or true. We'll work on helping you feel comfortable sharing all the “what ifs” that move through your brain so we can get to the root of your negative self-talk, challenge those thoughts, and replace them with more accurate statements.
Learning Coping Skills
The way we respond to anxiety is very important, and many people react with anger or judgment. Believe us when we say this is not helpful! You'll learn coping skills tailored to you as an individual so that when anxiety comes up, you'll know how to cope in a way that will ground you in the present moment and reduce the intensity of the anxiety.
Identifying Avoidance Behaviours
Avoiding nerve-wracking situations might bring temporary relief, but it actually worsens anxiety over time. By dodging nerve-wracking circumstances, we let anxiety take control and reinforce the idea that it's unmanageable. In therapy, we'll help you face these situations gradually and build confidence in your ability to cope effectively.
What Is a Panic Attack?
If you sometimes feel like you have an intense onset of anxiety symptoms that also show up with physical symptoms, you may be having panic attacks. Panic attacks often feel like they're coming out of nowhere, and they can include the following symptoms:
Intense worry
Increased heart rate
Pressure in your chest
Trouble breathing, like you just can’t catch it
Sweating
Dizziness
Panic attacks can be incredibly scary, especially when you don’t know that’s what is happening. After experiencing a panic attack, it’s common to feel even more anxious because you’re scared that it will happen again.
The good news is that if you understand what a panic attack is and start to develop coping tools, your panic attacks will become less frequent and less intense. This is something we would work on together in therapy.