If you have suffered from overwhelming worry, fear, and uncertainty because of an anxiety disorder, you are not alone. According to the National Institute of Health, each year one in five adults suffer from anxiety. While most people worry from time to time, if you suffer from anxiety, those feelings might interfere with daily life. And, the effects are not just mental and emotional. They can also become physical, increasing the risk of heart disease, depression, diabetes, and substance abuse. When anxiety begins to affect you in these ways, our team is here to help you experience growth in resilience and your ability to cope with the ultimate objective being to prevent your anxiety from impacting your quality of life, and what you are able to accomplish. When anxiety interferes like this, receiving anxiety counseling or talking to an anxiety therapist in Naperville, IL, or your area can help immensely. Too many of those suffering are unsuccessfully attempting to over come anxiety challenges on their own.
If your feelings of worry and fear are intense and you experience these for six months or more, it may be worth exploring options for some help and guidance potentially, related to anxiety counseling. In most cases, anxiety (there are various types) will impact your ability to perform at work, stay present and comfortable at school, and connect in social situations. For some, the worry and concern develop into panic attacks, where they experience sweating, heart palpitations, and even shaking.
Anxiety can cause intrusive or obsessive thoughts. A person with anxiety may feel confused or find it hard to concentrate. Feeling restless or frustrated can also be a sign of anxiety. Other people with anxiety may feel depressed.
Symptoms of anxiety can also be physical. Anxiety can cause overly tense muscles, or high blood pressure. Trembling, sweating, a racing heartbeat, dizziness, and insomnia can also come from anxiety. Anxiety may even cause headaches, digestive problems, difficulty breathing, and nausea.
Anxiety, like the fight, flight, or freeze response, is for survival. It allows people to protect themselves to avoid harm. Sometimes, a person has high levels of anxiety regularly. They may feel helpless in dealing with their symptoms.
Both biology and environment determine if a person will have anxiety. In other words, anxious behavior can be inherited, learned, or both. For example, research shows that anxious parents are likely to have anxious children. However, parents may also model anxious behavior. If so, they might instill that same behavior in their children. Having a stressful upbringing can also increase a person’s chances of having anxiety. This is because anxiety becomes a way to anticipate danger and stay safe.
Anxiety can also develop due to unresolved trauma and no history of previous trauma or anxiety counseling. Unresolved trauma may leave a person in a heightened state of physiological arousal. When this is the case, certain experiences can reactivate the old trauma. This is common for people with post-traumatic stress (PTSD). People with PTSD often receive both trauma and depression counseling.
Anxiety is at the root of many overall wellness and mental health conditions, including panic attacks and phobias. It is often directly related to other conditions, like obsessions and compulsions, PTSD, and depression. In addition to generalized anxiety, below are other types of anxiety that many are challenged with on a day-to-day basis that may warrant anxiety counseling:
Children, like adults, can experience anxiety. However, children may show different symptoms than adults. Knowing how to identify anxiety in children can help parents or guardians address it early. Then, parents may decide to find a child therapistor psychologist to help their child learn how to manage it.
If a child feels anxious more often and more intensely than most children their age, they may have some type of anxiety. A child who has anxiety might have difficulty going to school. They may also avoid social events or extracurricular activities, like sports. Some kids with anxiety are behind for their age in areas like making friends or being independent. Anxiety in children may appear as crying, clinging to parents, or tantrums.
Kids with anxiety may show certain behaviors that mimic obsessions or compulsions. Continual picking or pulling at skin or hair can be an anxious behavior. They may also show signs of separation anxiety. Signs of separation anxiety include clinging to parents, crying, or refusing to go to school or friend’s houses. Children can also experience generalized anxiety and may not be able to identify why they feel anxious, which can make the anxiety counseling process more unpredictable in terms of treatment duration. As children enter adolescence, they may be more likely to develop anxiety. Social anxiety often begins around age 13, but many exhibit full or partial symptoms much earlier. Up to 25.1% of adolescents ages 13 to 18 may be affected by an anxiety condition.
Older children or teens may develop food-related anxiety, which can lead to disordered eating. If left unchecked, this can cause serious health complications. Studies show that up to 91% of female teens have tried to control their weight with food. Meanwhile, around 40% of female teens show signs of disordered eating. Some researchers say that eating issues in males are also increasing. While food-related anxiety can occur on its own, it often co-occurs with other anxiety-related conditions, such as obsessions and compulsions. Disordered eating may also develop in teenagers as a coping mechanism for handling anxiety, stress, or trauma.
There is no quick fix for anxiety. Overcoming an anxiety disorder takes time and commitment. Anxiety counseling involves facing your fears rather than avoiding them, so sometimes you’ll feel worse before you get better. The important thing is to stick with treatment and follow your therapist’s advice. If you’re feeling discouraged with the pace of recovery, remember that therapy for anxiety is very effective in the long run. You’ll reap the benefits if you see it through.
You can also support your own anxiety therapy by making positive choices. Everything from your activity level to your social life affects anxiety. Set the stage for success by making a conscious decision to promote relaxation, vitality, and a positive mental outlook in your everyday life.
