Anxiety Treatment

Do you ever feel overcome with worry? Do you feel that you worry more than others? Do you avoid situations that may make you anxious?  Do you feel helpless to stop your thoughts from circling over and over again about an upcoming event or situation?  Do you find that it is hard to organize your thoughts when you are feeling anxious? Do you sometimes “snap” at others when they accidentally trigger your anxious thoughts? If so, you are not alone. Many people struggle to manage their anxiety and that struggle can take over their lives. Do not despair, we can help. We use a number of different scientifically proven techniques to help you manage your anxiety effectively.

What actually is anxiety?

Anxiety is defined as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about a future event or something in your life you feel has an uncertain outcome. Some examples are anxiety about an upcoming exam, important meeting, large social gathering or even concern for one’s physical safety. The fear of a possible threat can be enough to trigger a person’s anxiety. 

Everyone experiences anxiety. Anxiety is actually often a helpful emotion. When used properly, anxiety can motivate us to accomplish our goals. For example, being worried about an exam can help motivate us to study. Proper studying will improve performance. Anxiety, however, can become crippling when it is so overwhelming that we become unable to focus on anything but the anxiety itself. Overwhelming anxiety makes study time unproductive. If anxiety leaves you tied up in knots, you will not perform at your best. Therefore, it is important to use your anxious feelings in a productive and helpful manner. It is clearly not healthy to be in a constant state of anxiety. Chronic anxiety can have a significant impact on your physical as well as mental health.

People can feel anxious in many different situations. We all have our unique triggers. These are typically based on our past experiences but can also be related to our personalities. It is important to understand our triggers so we can start to learn how to respond to them and anticipate them properly.

How can anxiety affect your life?

 Anxiety can affect many aspects of a person’s life, both physically and emotionally. It can affect your health as well as your relationships, work, and school. If untreated, anxiety can lead to significant mental and physical health issues such as depression, suicidal thoughts, digestive issues, difficulty sleeping, chronic pain, substance abuse, impairment of your immune system, memory issues, and increased risk of heart attack and coronary disease.

Anxiety is considered a problem when it interferes with your daily functioning. Some signs to watch out for are difficulty sleeping, problems making or maintaining relationships, and difficulty functioning at work or school. For some sufferers, anxiety is limited to certain aspects of their life such as work, school or large social settings. For others, anxiety can permeate every aspect of their lives.

What happens in our body when we feel anxious?

 When we become anxious, our brain sends out warning signals, which trigger the fight, flight, or freeze response. This response causes the sympathetic nervous system to release the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline increases your heart rate, blood pressure, and energy. Cortisol increases the sugars in your bloodstream that are used for energy and reduces the bodily functions that are not helpful to your fight, flight, or freeze response. These stress responses are helpful when you are in an emergency, such as confronting an aggressive person or faced with a natural disaster. They help you stay alert and aware of your surroundings. However, they can be detrimental when taking a test or giving a presentation.

Some of the physical changes that these stress hormones can cause include dizziness, fast or irregular heartbeat, muscle tension, sweating, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, fatigue, nausea, headaches, difficulty concentrating, shaking, and irritability. It is not healthy for this response to continue long term. There are serious long term physical and psychological effects of chronic anxiety.

What can you do about anxiety?

 Do not worry, you are not alone. Many people struggle with anxiety and have learned how to deal with it effectively. It is important that you speak with a psychologist if you are having trouble managing your anxiety. A trained psychologist can help you learn new tools and skills to manage anxiety effectively. During treatment, you will learn to identify your triggers and prepare for them in order to avoid your body’s panic response. You will learn different techniques to help you calm down and focus on your body.

Here at La Cañada Psychology, we take an integrative approach to anxiety treatment, utilizing different techniques that have been scientifically validated to treat anxiety, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and psychodynamic. Everyone is different and responds to the techniques differently. We work on a variety of different options to find the best fit for you.

Call to schedule an appointment for anxiety treatment today!

If you are ready to take the next step and improve your anxiety, we offer a free phone consultation to see if we are a good fit. Please give us a call at (818) 495-5705 or click here to contact us today.  

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