What is anxiety therapy?
Anxiety therapy helps people better understand and manage their anxiety. Anxiety therapists at Thriveworks in Chesapeake, VA can develop a treatment plan that will help you better manage your day-to-day anxiety or your anxiety disorder.
How does anxiety therapy work?
Anxiety therapy involves talking to a therapist about symptoms, potential causes, and more. Thriveworks Chesapeake therapists will then work with you to determine where your anxiety might stem from and teach you effective coping mechanisms.
How to deal with anxiety?
One of the best ways to deal with anxiety is to learn about your own anxiety: your symptoms, what triggers it, and what coping mechanisms have been effective in the past. When you learn what your anxiety is tied to, it can help you be mindful of what’s really happening as well as prevent and mitigate symptoms by processing and working through the issue in therapy. Other strategies that have been shown to help manage anxiety are meditation, challenging anxious thoughts, exercising, and journaling.
Symptoms of anxiety
Common symptoms of anxiety include:
- Sense of impending danger
- Nervousness/restlessness
- Trouble focusing
- Excessive sweating
- Shaking
- Headaches
- Stomach issues
- Fatigue
- Panic attacks
- Increased heart rate
What is the best therapy for anxiety?
Is anxiety therapy conducted in person or online?
Anxiety therapy is conducted both in person and online, depending on the individual’s preferences and their therapist’s availability. We suggest choosing the option that best suits your needs.
How long does anxiety therapy last?
On average, people can tend to attend 15 to 20 session of anxiety therapy (five or more months). However, this number is heavily dependent on the type of anxiety that’s being treated and its severity, with many choosing to attend anxiety therapy for a longer period of time to ensure its effectiveness long-term.
Is therapy worth it for anxiety?
Yes, it is worth going to therapy for anxiety. If you are struggling with regular anxious thoughts and feelings that are affecting your day-to-day life or you suspect that you have an anxiety disorder, you should seek expert anxiety help.
Need more help deciding?
Therapy for Anxiety in Chesapeake, VA—Counseling
Anxiety disorders distinguish themselves from this normal feeling through their severity and longevity. If you are experiencing unfocused thoughts, constant worry, or isolation because of your anxiety, you are not alone
Thriveworks Chesapeake has worked with many people who are plagued by an anxiety disorder. Call or book online to get anxiety therapy today.
Anxiety: What Is It?
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health, Fifth Edition recognizes many different ways that anxiety can show itself. A few examples include:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – is what most people think of when they talk about anxiety. It involves a persistent and severe feeling of worry and anxiety that lasts for a minimum of six months and is experienced on more days than not and for a majority of those days. This anxiety is often accompanied by irritability, fatigue, restlessness, and more.
- Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) – anxiety can also look like fear of social interactions. Many people avoid interacting with other people, particularly strangers. They feel extreme embarrassment and as if people are judging them. SAD often leaves people feeling isolated and alone.
- Panic Disorder – a panic attack can arise without warning, and it can escalate to the point that people feel as if they will die. The symptoms then subside within a few minutes of the attack’s onset. People’s hearts may race, their limbs may go numb, they may struggle to breathe, and they may experience chills or hot flashes. If these attacks recur, an individual may have panic disorder.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) – the stress and anxiety people experience during a traumatic event can linger with them. PTSD is often associated with veterans, and for good reasons, but people can experience PTSD after any kind of trauma. They may experience instructive memories, nightmares, or flashbacks that force them to relive the event. They may also feel the same intense emotions they felt during the event after the event has ended.
The Physical and Emotional Cost of Anxiety
Anxiety extracts a high cost from people. It can affect people’s mental and physical health, and common side effects include…
- Disrupted Appetite – People may want to eat all the time, or they may have difficulty eating anything at all when they are experiencing anxiety. Understandably, when someone has anxiety, their weight may fluctuate as well, reaching an unhealthy high or low level.
- Irregular Sleep Patterns – As with appetite, anxiety can cause people to want to sleep all the time, or they may develop insomnia. They may be unable to wake rested, fall asleep quickly, or sleep through the night.
- Fatigue – Fighting any illness is draining, and anxiety is no different. A lack of energy is a common side effect. Normal activities can leave people who have anxiety exhausted.
- Difficulty Focusing – Negative thoughts can dominate an individual’s mind when they have anxiety. Channeling positive thoughts upon accomplishing a task can feel impossible. Discouragement and distraction are common companions to those with anxiety.
- Indecisiveness – When clear thinking is difficult, it follows that decision-making is also difficult. People with anxiety often describe themselves as feeling stuck. Daily decisions and normal cognitive processes are infinitely more difficult when an individual has anxiety.
Scheduling Counseling for Anxiety through Thriveworks Chesapeake
When you read about the different forms that anxiety can take, did anything stand out to you? If you recognize some symptoms in your own life, know that help is available. The counselors, psychologists, and therapists at Thriveworks Chesapeake have helped many of their clients find the right diagnosis and the right treatment. We are ready to help.
When you contact our office, one of our scheduling specialists will help you make an appointment.
But we do offer evening and weekend sessions. We also accept many forms of insurance.
We know that fighting anxiety is tough—scheduling therapy should not be. Let’s work together against anxiety. Call or schedule online Thriveworks Chesapeake today.
