Anxiety Therapy
I think I have an anxiety disorder. Now what?
While the experience of anxiety is certainly unpleasant, it is universal and adaptive.
From an evolutionary perspective, anxiety helps ensure our survival. Those heart palpitations and clammy hands when you’re in a dangerous situation? These physiological cues signal that we’re ready to fight or flee which can be useful for, say, avoiding being a hungry bear’s lunch.
Anxiety can also be motivating, revving us into action to make deadlines or excel in our profession. Experiencing anxiety in appropriate situations is universal and not a cause for concern. Normal anxiety crosses the line into anxiety disorder, however, when it becomes excessive, disruptive, and distressing.
Disruptive and distressing anxiety can take many forms. It might be excessive worrying about your health, your loved ones, your career, or finances. It can look like being hyper-attuned to danger and fearing situations like driving over bridges or flying. Maybe you suffer from physical symptoms or fear social situations. Perhaps you’ve even experienced a panic attack during which you felt like you were having a medical emergency or “going crazy.”
First of all, just know that you are not alone and you are not “crazy.” Many people suffer from anxiety disorders and find relief. Below is more information on the forms that anxiety disorders can take and steps you can take to start feeling better.
What are symptoms of anxiety disorders?
There are a variety of anxiety disorders with differing diagnostic criteria but underlying all of them are certain hallmark cognitive, physical, and behavioral symptoms.
Cognitive — The cognitive aspects of anxiety disorders are repetitive anxious thoughts and beliefs. Anxious thoughts may make you feel like doom is imminent when there is no real threat. Even if there is a real threat (e.g., financial issues, health issues) an anxiety disorder may lead you to persistently imagine and fear the worst-case outcomes. Although it’s normal to worry, especially when you’re experiencing challenges, the worrying associated with anxiety disorders is excessive and distressing. Sometimes people even experience depersonalization and derealization which can make reality feel dreamlike or distorted.
Physical — The physical symptoms of anxiety are due to sympathetic nervous system arousal which prepares us to fight, flee, or freeze. In the case of anxiety disorders, these physical symptoms are excessive and distressing. Some common physical symptoms indicative of anxiety disorders are heart racing, shortness of breath, faintness, sweating, trembling, gastrointestinal distress, and flushing.
Behavioral — Excessive anxious cognitions can lead to maladaptive behaviors that perpetuate the cycle of anxiety. For instance, you may begin to avoid situations that elicit anxiety. This can lead to social withdrawal and isolation. If your avoided situation (e.g., driving, using public transportation) is something that you need to do in order to function in daily life, you may experience professional or financial setbacks. In severe cases, individuals who suffer from agoraphobia may remain housebound in order to avoid having panic attacks in places where escape is difficult.
At Vienna Praxis we will be able to provide you with an accurate diagnosis if you suspect that you have an anxiety disorder. Diagnosis is important as it will allow your clinician to determine the best course of treatment. Some common anxiety disorders, described briefly, are:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) — GAD is characterized by excessive worries about everyday challenges which are often accompanied by troubling physical symptoms. People with GAD often feel “keyed-up,” irritable, and restless, and have difficulty sleeping or concentrating due to their worrying. They may also experience troubling physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, sweating, headaches, stomachaches, or muscle pain.
Panic Disorder — People with Panic Disorder experience unexpected and frequent panic attacks. Panic attacks are periods during which one experiences thoughts and physical sensations that denote immediate doom or emergency. Often panic attacks occur “out of the blue” in the absence of any notable stressor. During panic attacks people may feel like they are having a medical emergency, losing control, or “going crazy.” Individuals with panic disorder may begin to avoid situations that are associated with panic attacks leading to social withdrawal and professional issues.
Social Anxiety Disorder - Individuals suffering with Social Anxiety Disorder often fear being judged and rejected by others. When they are in social situations they suffer from inordinate worry about how they are being perceived and may fear that others will be put off by their anxiety. Individuals with social anxiety may resultantly avoid social situations, leading to isolation and difficulty retaining employment.
Phobias — People with phobias have intense anxiety and fear around specific situations and objects. Common phobias are flying, enclosed spaces, heights, animals or insects, and blood. People with phobias may avoid situations in which they must confront the object of their anxiety.
What are typical anxiety disorders and how do I get a diagnosis?
How do I get better?
Depending on the anxiety disorder you have, your therapist at Vienna Praxis will tailor the treatment to your needs. Many people feel significantly better by developing insight and coping mechanisms that are geared at addressing their particular underlying symptoms.
The therapeutic approach in our practice is drawing on a variety of state-of-the-art evidence-based therapeutic modalities. Your therapist will do a comprehensive intake during which they will get to know about you, your personal and health history and your relationship history in order to better understand the possible origins of your anxiety. In addition to helping you better understand your fluctuating emotional states, you will be provided with techniques from evidence-based therapeutic modalities that challenge your anxious thoughts, reduce your physical symptoms, and modify any unwanted behaviors.
At Vienna Praxis we have developed a clinical expertise for working with people who demand a lot from themselves. Ambition can be very invigorating but not if one’s anxiety constantly gets in the way. This might resonate for you if you find yourself suffering from mental exhaustion and a nagging frustration that your goals are repeatedly thwarted by self doubt, bouts of anxiety or panic attacks.
Read more on the mental interplay of Ambition and Anxiety.