Anxiety is a common reason that people seek counseling.
A certain amount of anxiety in life is normal. Certain psychology theorists called Existentialists believe anxiety is a part of the human condition. We all have anxiety from time to time whether for a public presentation, for a test, or for life adjustments such as having a baby or getting married. However, anxiety can become problematic when it becomes overwhelming. For example, you may feel like you are unable to turn off your thoughts or your anxiety starts to affect your sleep, performance at work, or relationships.
Here are some common signs of anxiety:
- Do you have an excessive amount of worry on most days?
- Is it hard to turn those thoughts off?
- Do you feel restless or on edge?
- Do you have difficulty concentrating?
- Do you have muscle tension and irritability?
- Do you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or have unrestful sleep?
The hallmark of anxiety is excessive worry and continuous negative thinking. You may believe something terrible is going to happen that you know is not rational but cannot turn these intrusive thoughts off. You may perseverate on thoughts like “I am not doing good enough at work” or “she is just going to leave me” when there is no real evidence to support it. You may make a “mountain out of a molehill” and believe that something is much worse than it is in reality. For example, I had a client who was convinced that every time she drove over a bridge it was going to collapse.
Often, current anxiety may be rooted in your past and counseling can help uncover the “roots” to significantly decrease your anxiety. Many different techniques can help anxiety such as CBT therapy where you become aware of your thoughts that cause your feelings, then your subsequent behavior. EMDR therapy can help if your anxiety is associated with an unfinished memory that is not processed in your past. Your therapist can help uncover these elements.
EMDR therapy can also help because your current negative thinking may be rooted in negative core beliefs that you may carry. For example, deep down you may feel “I am never safe” or “I am not in control” based on other experiences that have happened to you. Therefore, by understanding you as a whole person through counseling and conducting a detailed assessment with your therapist, you can learn ways to cope so it does not interfere with your life.