ANXIETY
Maybe you toss and turn at night, struggling to clear your mind from the stress of the day, or when you do sleep you find yourself experiencing frequent nightmares.
Perhaps you feel overwhelmed by the fear that you will have a panic attack and rearrange your life to avoid any potential triggers.
Maybe you feel weighed down by physical tension in your muscles, your jaw, and the constant butterflies in your stomach.
If any of these descriptions sound like you, you may be experiencing anxiety symptoms. Anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders are some of the most common mental health challenges. Estimates say that nearly 20% of US adults have experienced an anxiety disorder in the past year.
If you are experiencing anxiety symptoms or believe that you might have an anxiety disorder, know that you’re not alone and there is help available to you. Our specialists are trained in supporting clients through anxiety treatment, reducing anxiety symptoms, and building new coping skills.
What Are Anxiety Symptoms?
Anxiety symptoms can manifest in many different ways, including physical symptoms, cognitive or mental symptoms, and emotional symptoms. Here are some of the most common anxiety symptoms that you may be experiencing:
Constant worry or fear
Feelings of panic, fear, or constant uneasiness
Heart palpitations
Sweaty hands/feet
Shortness of breath
Inability to be still or calm
Dry mouth
Numbness or tingling in hands/feet
Nightmares
Difficulty sleeping
Gastrointestinal distress
Fear of specific situations, such as large crowds or interacting with strangers
What is Anxiety Disorder?
There are a few different kinds of anxiety disorders. Broadly, anxiety disorder is a condition where someone experiences excessive worry, to the point where it negatively impacts different areas of their life, such as work, school, and relationships.
Some of the most common types of anxiety disorder include:
Panic Disorder
Panic Disorder is a type of anxiety disorder where a person experiences panic attacks, which are brief episodes of intense anxiety symptoms. During a panic attack, you might feel extreme shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and chest pain. Many people who experience panic attacks report feeling like they are dying or having a heart attack during the panic attack. Thankfully, most panic attacks only last for a few minutes, but afterward, people with panic disorder will feel an intense fear that they will have another panic attack. Not every person who has a panic attack has panic disorder, but regardless of the reason for the panic attacks, there are treatment options available.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, also known as GAD, is a type of anxiety disorder where a person experiences excessive worry across multiple areas of life and times of day, sometimes without any clear stressor or cause. GAD is one of the more common anxiety disorders and people with GAD are also more likely to experience depression in addition to anxiety.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a type of anxiety disorder that someone might experience in response to a stressful, traumatic event. While we used to think of PTSD as something that’s only experienced by soldiers and veterans, the reality is that anyone can experience PTSD after a traumatic event or series of events. PTSD can be caused by experiencing physical or sexual violence (or the threat of violence), intimate partner abuse, childhood trauma, being in or witnessing an accident, and many other traumatic circumstances. People with PTSD tend to experience distressing, intrusive thoughts about the traumatic event, replaying it in their minds over and over again, despite their desire to stop thinking about it.
Separation Anxiety Disorder
Separation anxiety is something that many children experience, and most tend to grow out of it as they reach their school-age years. However, for some children, their separation anxiety is so persistent that it becomes a separation anxiety disorder. This condition is characterized by bouts of extreme distress at being away from home or family members, to the point that it interferes with the child’s ability to attend school or other daily activities. Children with separation anxiety disorder may also experience panic attacks, similar to those with panic disorder.
How to Get Rid of Anxiety
Anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders can be incredibly uncomfortable to experience. If you suffer from anxiety, you may be wondering how to get rid of anxiety.
While there isn’t a quick fix or permanent solution for anxiety, there are several different anxiety treatment options that are backed by a strong base of evidence and research.
If you’re concerned about your anxiety or if you believe that a loved one may have an anxiety disorder, the best thing you can do is reach out to a therapist or your medical provider. A trained therapist can provide evidence-based anxiety treatment and can support you in reducing your anxiety symptoms.
The number one anxiety treatment option that a therapist can provide to reduce anxiety symptoms is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, also known as CBT. CBT is an evidence-based anxiety treatment, which means that researchers have studied its effectiveness and found that it’s successful at helping people reduce anxiety symptoms.
CBT works because it helps people with anxiety disorders reframe their negative thoughts, build new coping skills, navigate life transitions that may be increasing anxiety, reality-check themselves, and have a safe space to process complex emotions.
You can learn more about the specifics of what’s involved in CBT therapy on our blog.
How We Can Help
You don’t have to tackle anxiety on your own. Our therapists have a vast wealth of experience using CBT, and when necessary, we are comfortable working with you and your doctor to coordinate care if medication is something that may be also helpful.
We’re here to support you in overcoming anxiety.
Explore Our Anxiety Specialists
Jordan Valley, LSW
Licensed therapist helping adults heal relational trauma and navigate life transitions.
In Person, Telehealth/Virtual
Maureen Bourke, LPC
Licensed therapist for women, kids, and teens ready to grow at their own pace.
In Person, Telehealth/Virtual
Eliana Jorgensen, LCSW
Licensed therapist helping young adults manage anxiety and find their footing.
In Person, Telehealth/Virtual
