Anxiety and panic attacks can be a very scary experience for many people. Having difficulty breathing and feeling like you are having a heart attack is scary enough to send most people to the emergency room! In fact, many people who have come to me for help tell me they have been to the emergency room at least once for a panic attack. A severe panic attack may have a person truly believe and feel as though they are dying…
Panic attacks have a way of taking over and controlling your life. This usually starts with worry – worrying about the next panic attack. People struggling with anxiety and panic have a tendency to avoid the places and situations where they last experienced a panic attack. Anxiety is controlling your life when you begin avoiding certain tasks or important parts of your day. For example, teens and college students may avoid a particular class at school (or school altogether) if they had a panic attack while there. Some people will avoid driving or driving alone if they experienced a panic attack while driving.
Perhaps you are always worrying and asking yourself, “What if?” Or perhaps you spend a lot of time each day having to “check” things or go through certain routines in order to feel comfortable? Anxiety can result in physical and emotional exhaustion and anxiety can control what do you, or don’t do, every day. It can steal your quality of life…
Anxiety is usually progressive, meaning its nature is to get worse over time. Rarely does it just “go away” on its own. Your brain and body have become conditioned to responding to stress in a certain way.
The good news is that counseling is very effective for treating anxiety. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy has proven to be one of the most effective treatments for anxiety. While certain medications may help manage symptoms of anxiety (and I am not against medication), counseling is just as effective, and typically, more effective in the long term as people have learned skills to calm their mind and body.
As a Certified Anxiety Specialist, I have training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and other therapies to treat anxiety. I feel confident that, at a minimum, I can help you cope with your anxiety and improve your quality of life. Most likely, we can get rid of your anxiety altogether and condition your brain and body to respond to stress in a different way.
Learn how to experience “waves of calm” and restore your sense of wellbeing. Please contact me today.