Anxiety is a healthy human reaction to a threatening or dangerous situation. It is our natural reaction to dealing with a lot of worry or stress. The body launches the stress response, also known as fight or flight, to protect you from danger or prepare you to face a challenging situation. Everyone experiences anxiety. It is a natural factor in dealing with difficult situations or changes, especially those drastically impacting your life. However, this physiological reaction can be overactive, becoming overwhelming and interfering with everyday living.
Anxiety becomes an issue when you consistently feel worried, tense, or afraid. Your it may make you believe that everybody is just waiting for you to mess up or tell you that you aren't performing well at work and you’ll get fired.
Your worry likely centers around things that set happen in the future. And sometimes, it's simply a story of what we think will happen.
An overactive anxious response may also be diagnosed as an anxiety disorder. An anxiety disorder may occur because of genetics, overexposure to stressful situations, traumatic events, or a prolonged inability to manage stress. These circumstances can overwhelm the stress response center, known as the amygdala, causing unwarranted activation when no threat is present.
Mental illness, particularly anxiety, can worsen symptoms and drastically limit people's lives if left untreated. If anxiety feels overwhelming and interferes with your ability to live the life you would like, it could be a mental health issue.
When to See an Anxiety Therapist
Severe anxiety prevents you from enjoying the present and, perhaps more brutally, from fixing the issue causing the worry. Avoiding difficult situations is a problematic reaction that reduces experience and, frequently, life happiness.
Speak with a licensed Atlanta anxiety therapist if you have experienced at least three or more of the following symptoms for at least six months:
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- Worrying often or about everything
- Poor concentration and inattention
- Difficulty engaging in daily activities
- Worries or fears are excessive or uncontrollable
- Avoiding situations that could make you feel nervous
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Additionally, an excessive amount of time might be consumed by worrying about things that can lead to physical anxiety symptoms such as:
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- lethargy
- dizziness
- brain fog
- muscle tension
- difficulty sleeping
- agitation or irritability
- disrupting concentration
- excessive sweating or urination
- increased heart rate or palpitations
- breathing difficulties or suffocating feelings
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Anxiety therapy is available when worry causes enough distress to disrupt your work, social, and private life. Our trained anxiety therapists will teach you skills and techniques to challenge your thoughts and regulate your anxiety symptoms so that you can increase your ability to calm yourself.
Why You Should Seek Anxiety Therapy
Mental illness can worsen symptoms and drastically limit people's lives if left untreated. Anxiety symptoms require treatment when it becomes disruptive to a person's everyday life, either because of their frequency, intensity, or both. In addition, clearing mental space to engage in activities helps reduce worry, which is one of the primary purposes of treatment.
You may be interested in treatment to receive strategies that can help
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- with relationship challenges
- with a challenging life event or scenario
- working on things that can help in relationship challenges
- address emotions such as excessive sadness, guilt, or rage
- treat overlapping mental health conditions such as depression
There are many advantages to therapy, and people suffering from anxiety are not the only ones who can reap these benefits. For example, when you receive treatment for your it, you may notice a decrease in symptoms and improved relationships as your quality of life changes.
Potential advantages of starting anxiety therapy include:
- Improved ability to communicate with others
- An improvement in the quality of sleep
- Increased feelings of empowerment
- Enhanced connections and interactions with other individuals
- Development of skills for coping with the stresses and obstacles of everyday life
- Improves stress management strategies for reducing the impact of changes and annoyances
- For example, an increase in overall physical health, including a reduction in chronic pain and blood pressure.
What to Expect in Anxiety Treatment and How to Cope
The best treatment for anxiety occurs when you are open to various approaches because not every technique will work for everyone. One option is seeking individualized services from a licensed anxiety therapist you trust.
Working with a trained anxiety therapist can ease symptoms and make it easier for you to perform specific tasks.
Formal Anxiety Treatments
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- Psychotherapy or counseling is used to learn more about your anxiety, recognize your triggers, build coping mechanisms, and find a way to express your pain. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are commonly used by anxiety therapists to improve thought and emotion regulation. These and other approaches help you become aware of the thought patterns and behaviors contributing to uncomfortable emotions.
- Medications such as antidepressants, sleeping aids, and anti-anxiety medications may be prescribed by psychiatrists as potential aids. Medications for anxiety disorder can ease symptoms and make it easier for you to perform specific tasks.
- Residential treatment may benefit people with severe anxiety disorders or mental health issues that jeopardize their lives.
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Informal Treatments for Anxiety
Other tactics also provide comfort or relief. They consist of the following:
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- Good self-care: Anxiety can be reduced, and health can be maintained by regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and eating a balanced diet.
- Activism: Activism can serve as a therapeutic outlet for people who struggle with anxiety related to racial trauma.
- Supportive community: A network of allies can be beneficial. Make connections with individuals who comprehend the relationship between race and anxiety and approach it as a serious concern.
- Alternative and complementary remedies: Yoga, acupuncture, and meditation can all help calm an anxious mind.
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The Takeaway
It is not unusual to experience feelings of anxiety from time to time. It's how we react when we feel threatened, under pressure, or stressed out, such as when we have an exam, a job interview, or an appointment with the doctor.
It's important to remember that anxiety isn't always a terrible thing. It can inspire us, keep us attentive, make us aware of potential dangers, and encourage us to find solutions to difficulties.
On the other hand, anxiety can become an issue when it interferes with a person's capacity to live their life. It may be a symptom of a problem with your mental health if your anxiety is persistent, intense, difficult to regulate, or out of proportion to the circumstances in which you find yourself.
No matter how long you've experienced anxiety or how severe your symptoms are, there are a variety of treatments for you.
Get Help with Anxiety Therapy in Atlanta, GA
At Simplicity Psychotherapy, we assist you in learning to identify and acknowledge negative thought patterns and emotional cycles. Your therapist teaches you techniques to challenge destructive thoughts and emotions using skills like reframing and delayed engagement. You will also learn to replace negative thoughts with realistic thinking, which informs emotions and behavior.
If you are interested in starting anxiety therapy follow these steps:
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- Reach out for a free consultation with us
- Schedule your first appointment for anxiety help
- Start living and enjoying your life
Other Therapy Services We Offer in Atlanta, GA
Our caring therapists offer a variety of services in order to support your mental health and well-being. This includes affirming LGBTQIA+ therapy, therapy for Black women, and therapy for Black men. Along with group therapy, depression therapy, and grief counseling. In addition to relationship therapy, marriage counseling, and couples therapy. We look forward to supporting you so that you can start living your best life.
I’m Rayvéne Whatley a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. I enjoy empowering you to remove the mask of other people’s expectations and have the Audacity to be yourself. I have a particular passion for Black man and women cope with anxiety and challenge expectations by reexamining beliefs that no longer suit their desires.
Note: While the information above is intended to provide insight as you begin your journey they are not intended to replace the guidance of a trained professional. Exploring these concerns in the presence of a licensed counselor or other licensed professional may provide deeper insight and assist in managing more multifaceted concerns that may arise.