Let’s Talk About Anxiety - How Can Therapy Help Anxiety?
Orlando Counselor Weighs In
Counseling in Orlando for anxiety and stress relief are two of the most common symptoms that bring individuals to seek mental health services. People who seek counseling for anxiety or stress actually respond the most successfully to treatments, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). They feel relief of anxiety symptoms in a relatively short period of time with a counselor through guided relaxation, individualized therapy practices, and bringing awareness to negative thought patterns. Counselors and therapists understand anxiety and stress symptoms mean different things for women, men, couples, and families and will offer a variety of counseling options and often offer holistic intervention ideas to help ease symptoms to gain a full recovery.
Anxiety and Stress influences
As cited by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety and stress affects an estimated 40 million adults in the United States, or 18% of the population. Unfortunately, despite anxiety being the most common mental health issue, it is often the one that goes most untreated. Counselors use the word anxiety and stress together quiet often for many reasons, but both terms have significant meanings.
Counselors and therapists think of stress as a figurative pressure that is felt from external or internal stimuli. External stressors can be from career changes, relationship issues or conflicts, family life problems, financial concerns, or environmental influences. Even happy life events such as new parenthood, marriage, a job promotion, graduation, or even birthdays can be a contributing external stressor. Anxiety is a normal response to stress, be it real or imagined.
Internal stimuli for stress is a little more complicated and is not often “seen” by the individual, but felt just the same. Internal stress is what comes from thinking patterns that originate from a person’s background, childhood family structure, belief system, and suppressed or unconscious emotions. It is how the person thinks and feels that causes the perceived stress. The type of stress a person creates with negative or faulty thinking patterns is best treated with counseling and therapy. Worry and fearfulness can greatly impact an individual’s daily functioning, productivity and happiness. With either external or internal stressors, the physical response a person feels is experienced in the same ways and is what counselors and therapists refer to as anxiety.
Physical symptoms of anxiety that result from stress can include increased heart rate and palpitations, blurry vision, sweaty palms, feelings of difficulty breathing, racing thoughts…the list goes on. These physical symptoms are a normal response to fear and when faced with real threat offer great advantage to survival. When there is no real danger and a person’s anxiety response is triggered, this can cause a person great discomfort and lead to avoidance type behaviors such as social isolation or obsessive compulsive behaviors.
Anxiety disorders commonly and successfully treated in the United States
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Social Anxiety Disorder
Counseling and therapy for social anxiety disorder focuses on an individual’s avoidance of social situations due to a perceived fear of ridicule, judgement or humiliation. In some cases, the individual may only choose to socialize in familiar settings (such as with family or regular locations) to avoid new social or performance situations.
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Generalized Anxiety Disorder
A person with GAD might seek therapy because they often feel excessive worry, or fear, about everyday occurrences such as work, family, or school. They might find they just cannot relax, feel chronically fatigued, or have trouble concentrating and have gastrointestinal issues.
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Panic Disorder
This individual might seek counseling due to recurring episodes of intense fear, panic or dread that can come “out of the blue” and result in debilitating physical symptoms like increased heart rate, shortness of breath, fear of dying or fear of going crazy.
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Agoraphobia
An individual might seek a counselor or therapy to help them deal with their fear of places or situations where they might have experienced panic or anxiety. These individuals sometimes become house bound, avoid stores or crowded places, and limit their exposure to unfamiliar situations..
That said, a person does not need to have a defined anxiety disorder to seek counseling or therapy. As a matter of fact, research proves if you have a healthy outlet for your stress, such as counseling, you can avoid the above disorders and learn healthy ways to cope with your stress normally.
How Counseling Can Help
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), relaxation techniques, and mindfulness practices have been proven to successfully treat anxiety disorders and offer stress reduction. Research indicates that using CBT, in conjunction with other modalities, will help individuals see a quicker, sustained response in stress and anxiety symptom relief.
- Getting to the root of negative thought patterns, identifying stress triggers, establishing and utilizing healthy coping strategies, improving self-talk, and implementing daily techniques for stress reduction have all proven effective counseling practices and successful treatment for anxiety relief.
- Getting to the root of negative thought patterns, identifying stress triggers, establishing and utilizing healthy coping strategies, improving self-talk, and implementing daily techniques for stress reduction have all proven effective counseling practices and successful treatment for anxiety relief.
If you or someone you love has been suffering from anxiety or feeling overwhelmed or stressed, call the Orlando Thrive Therapy office today to speak to one of our therapists now. Anxiety counseling has been proven to be more effective for long-lasting results than anti-anxiety medications and any other type of treatment option. You can email Orlando Thrive Therapy at orlandothrivetherapy@gmail.com or call us now for a free 15-20 minute phone consultation at 407-592-8997.
