Living With Anxiety
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 18 percent of the adult population in the United States.
Anxiety is even more prevalent among youths, with a full 25 percent of 13 to 18-year-olds having an anxiety disorder.
The good news is that anxiety therapy are manageable, and there are a large variety of treatment methods that therapists can employ to help clients lessen the impact of anxiety.
Anxiety can come from seemingly nowhere, or it can run in families. But regardless, anxiety can be a lifelong challenge that spills into all facets of life.
What Does Anxiety Look Like?
How it looks for one person is not how it looks for another. For example, some people may become more talkative, while others withdraw or self-isolate.
Sometimes, anxiety may trigger a ‘fight’ rather than ‘flight’ response, in which case a person might appear aggressive.
Stuttering, trembling, and nervous tics are often symptoms of anxiety.
However, while physical symptoms can appear in people with anxiety, they are not always present, and some people who do not have anxiety also show signs typical of anxiety sufferers.
Treating anxiety disorders with therapy
For many anxiety problems, therapy is often the most effective option.
Therapy can help uncover the underlying causes of your worries and fears. The American Psychological Association says many people improve significantly in as little as 8 to 10 therapy sessions.
The length of therapy will also depend on the severity of your anxiety disorder and the type of treatment tailored to your specific symptoms and diagnosis.
The goal is to lower your anxiety levels, calm your mind, and overcome your fears, but the goal is the same: to reduce anxiety levels.
Types of Anxiety
Anxiety is at the root of many mental health conditions, including panic attacks and phobias.
In addition, it is often directly related to other conditions, like depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In addition to generalized anxiety, the list of mental health issues classified as anxiety disorders includes separation anxiety disorder, selective mutism, specific phobia, social anxiety disorder (social phobia), panic disorder, agoraphobia, and generalized anxiety disorder.
What are the Four Categories of Anxiety?
People experience many different levels of anxiety, but in general, it can be classified into four categories.
The levels of anxiety are classified by the amount of distress and impairment experienced.
The four levels of anxiety are mild, moderate, severe, and panic level.
Mild anxiety is a feeling of unease, worry, or apprehension about an upcoming event.
Moderate anxiety entails feelings of fear for the body’s safety and concern over life-threatening events.
Severe anxiety is more intense than moderate and will usually cause significant impairment in daily functioning.
Panic level anxiety is characterized by an overwhelming sense that something terrible will happen at any moment, and panic attacks may occur.
How Counseling Helps in Coping With Anxiety
Counseling is an effective way to treat anxiety because it provides the necessary tools for you to cope with your anxiety on your own when you are not in therapy sessions.
And while everyone is different and a treatment that works for one person may not work for another, some forms of counseling that are effective in treating and reducing anxiety are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), solution-focused therapy (SFT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).
A good therapist will be well-versed in various anxiety treatment methods and will be able to determine the best way to proceed with each individual.
When to Seek Help With Anxiety?
Anxiety is a mental health disorder that can include anxiety attacks or periods of intense fear and agitation. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in America, affecting about 18% of the adult population every year.
If you’re experiencing anxiety for more than a few weeks or if anxiety is impacting your life significantly, then it may be time to seek help from an anxiety counselor.
A Scottsdale counseling can help you turn things around and get your anxiety under control with Anxiety Counseling.
About the author: Selena Soni, LCSW is a licensed therapist with over 15 years experience in the mental health field. She is also the founder of MUV Counseling, Scottsdale AZ, muvcounseling.com.
