Anxiety is the most common mental health issue in the United States. Not surprisingly, anxiety is one of the most common issues I work with in my practice. Because anxiety is a normal part of life and so normalized in society, sometimes people don’t know that their experience of anxiety is not “normal.” I’ve had clients tell me that they didn’t realize that certain behaviors were anxiety-related until they started to feel better during therapy. While it’s possible to live with a certain amount of anxiety, there are times when anxiety symptoms become too much to handle and they begin to interfere with our daily functioning, such as at work, school, and in important relationships.
Symptoms of anxiety may include:
- Excessive worrying and/or rumination
- Difficulty concentrating
- Physical symptoms (racing heart, difficulty breathing)
- Panic attacks
- Difficulty sleeping
- Reassurance seeking
- Avoidance/procrastination
- Perfectionism
Anxiety disorders include:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Panic Disorder
- Phobias
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Treatments for anxiety can be extremely effective. In my practice, I blend insight-oriented and cognitive behavior approaches to target both the underlying causes and symptoms of anxiety.