All of us struggle with anxiety from time to time. Life is stressful, and anxiety is a normal stress response. But for some, anxiety can take on a problematic role in our life, preventing us from enjoying important moments. Sometimes it can be hard to know when to get help. Today we’ll examine some common types of anxiety, signs, and symptoms of anxiety disorders and offer you some advice on how to get help if you need additional support. Anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of, but recognizing it and learning how to deal with it can be a valuable coping skill and improve your quality of life.
Types of Anxiety
Common anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful situations; however, people with anxiety disorders often have excessive worry or fear about everyday situations. Often, anxiety disorders involve repeated episodes of sudden feelings of extreme nervousness, fear, or even terror that peak within a few minutes. Suppose you are experiencing these feelings of anxiety and panic, and it is beginning to interfere with your daily activities. Suppose you’re finding it difficult to control your emotions or feel your anxiety is not proportionate to the actual risk of a given situation. In that case, you might want to speak to a counselor.
Examples of anxiety disorders include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which can be triggered by an event or trauma; Social Anxiety Disorder, which can cause people to avoid social situations and isolate themselves. Separation Anxiety disorder is commonly associated with children but can also affect adults. Sometimes anxiety can result from a medical condition; a medical professional can treat all of these types of anxiety; although some patients benefit from medication, all patients can benefit from counseling.
Counseling provides a safe place for you to explore the source of your feelings of anxiety and deal with the root causes of what triggers these feelings of panic. In addition, counseling can provide you with practical tools to help you self-soothe when you feel a panic attack coming on and move through the emotions more calmly.
How Do I Know If My Anxiety Is A Problem?
Since most of us experience common anxiety regularly, it can sometimes be hard to know if you have an anxiety disorder. In general, anxiety is a helpful reaction; it can increase awareness and alerts you to dangers in your environment. However, left unchecked, these feelings can lead to excessive worrying. Many people experience this exaggerated reaction and deal with the consequences of how it affects their life and how you socialize with others.
If you’re experiencing the following symptoms, you might be dealing with an anxiety disorder. If you often miss work because of anxious feelings that cause you to stay home, or find yourself canceling plans to avoid socializing with friends because social situations cause you to feel anxious. If you often find it hard to find or maintain romantic or platonic relationships because of anxious thoughts. If you have trouble focusing on daily tasks because of excessive worry. If you don’t enjoy activities you used to or have difficulty engaging with projects or hobbies. If you often have trouble sleeping because a feeling of panic or worried thoughts keep you awake.
Another powerful indicator of an anxiety problem is physical symptoms. Yes, anxiety produces a physical response. If you commonly experience restlessness, tension, or find yourself easily agitated, you might be dealing with an anxiety issue. Other physical symptoms include nervousness or unshakeable dread, feelings of panic or danger, heavy sweating, rapid breathing, heart palpitations, twitching, muscle tremors, inability to concentrate, difficulty sleeping, and fatigue. Common physical discomforts are also associated with anxiety. They are sometimes mistaken for other issues, such as upset stomach or diarrhea, or constipation can all result from untreated anxiety in the body.
Some of these physical symptoms can signal an oncoming panic or anxiety attack. Or they are paired with compulsive actions such as repetitive motions or obsessive behavior or thoughts. On the other hand, panic attacks can occur suddenly and include any previous symptoms and can come with a feeling of tightness in the chest, dizziness, disorientation, difficulty breathing, and a sense of being detached from reality.
When To Get Help
If you find yourself triggered into an over-anxious response by situations in your life, or if you worry more than necessary about things that are a regular part of your routine, you might want to speak with a counselor about managing your anxiety. If you find yourself experiencing physical symptoms of anxiety or feelings of worry, fear, and dread that are affecting the quality of your life, speaking with your doctor or a counselor are significant first steps toward a better, more balanced life.
Nearly 20% of people in the U.S. suffer from an anxiety disorder, with many more undiagnosed. While many live with the effects of this disorder, anxiety is a treatable condition. At Collective Counseling Solutions, we want you to live your best life, and we can help you connect with a trained professional counselor to help you deal with your anxiety issues. We provide service through our licensed provider in various locations across the U.S.
There are many options for help with anxiety, including therapy, in-person counseling, online counseling, and medications. A licensed counselor can help you manage your symptoms, develop coping skills to manage your anxiety, and build tools to better deal with stressful situations that can lead to anxiety. The critical thing to remember is that anxiety will not go away if ignored, but you don’t have to solve this problem alone; we are here to help. Contact us today to get started!
