Anxiety is one of the most common mental health concerns that people have. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 19.1% of US Adults had an anxiety disorder in a given year. Many anxiety disorders begin in childhood and persist into adulthood because they are left untreated. Anxiety Disorder is the “umbrella” term that includes many specific types of anxiety struggles that people have. For some, anxiety is marked by excessive fear of physical symptoms of panic and re-occurring rushes of fear that lead to panic (marked by increased heart-rate, difficulty breathing, sweating, and several other symptoms) symptoms. For others anxiety is experienced as excessive and uncontrollable worry that is difficult, and at times, impossible to turn off. People experiencing worry like this tend to have: excessive irritability, muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, feeling easily fatigued, and often feel on-edge. Others experience anxiety specifically in social situations and find themselves being bombarded with negative thoughts about themselves and physically wanting to escape when in these situations. There are several specific ways that people can experience anxiety, what is important to know is that anxiety can be treated.
Research shows that one of the most effective types of therapy for treating anxiety disorders is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This therapy teaches you to identify unhelpful thought patterns, challenge them, and change them into thoughts and beliefs that are healthy and helpful. With CBT you also learn many coping skills that decrease physical symptoms of anxiety and change patterns of behavior that might worsen anxiety symptoms. We are trained and experienced in offering CBT and would love to talk with you about how this type of treatment may help you reach your health goals. Contact us today for more information.