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Anxiety

Are you constantly worried?

Do you feel anxiety is taking over your life?

Everyone feels anxious at one time or another and it is a normal response to stressful experiences. Some situations that can cause you to feel anxious might be when you experience conflicting demands or have important obligations to meet.

Mild forms of anxiety are normal and adaptive because it can help motivate you to complete tasks and stay alert during stressful life events. However, when anxiety escalates uncontrollably this can have an effect on a person’s ability to work, study, interact with people or follow a daily routine. It can also have the effect of creating physiological symptoms including stomach aches, headaches, irritability and muscle twitching.

There are many different types of anxiety including generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias.

How can counselling help?

Counselling can help you by first identifying what is causing your anxiety. Thought patterns also accompany anxiety and it can be difficulty to tease apart your different fears. Through counseling you will learn how your particular thoughts contribute to your symptoms of anxiety as well as how to change these patterns. On a behavioural level counseling will also teach you relaxation techniques to counteract the difficulty in breathing that often accompanies anxiety. By learning how to confront your fears in a safe environment you will gradually be able to tolerate fearful situations and take more control over your life.