Anxiety

Anxiety

Anxiety is a medical condition that includes symptoms of intense worry, fear, or panic.  Someone can feel these symptoms even when doing ordinary tasks such as, chores, homework, and/or enjoyable things! 

This level of anxiety is often accompanied by physical symptoms, such as increased heart rate, rapid breathing, headaches, and muscle tension (ex. Panic attacks).   People are able to live and function well with their anxiety. However, these same symptoms can be disruptive to their daily lives (ex. Falling behind in school, avoiding relationships with friends and family). 

Research has shown that there is a correlation between practicing mindfulness (e.g. through sitting meditation, yoga, or other mindfulness exercises), can reduce anxiety symptoms. 

In other approaches to therapy, the client will learn various ways to change changing thoughts. Mindfulness, on the other hand, seeks to change the relationship between the anxious person and their thoughts. Instead of avoiding or withdrawing from distressing thoughts or feelings, I will teach the client to remain in the present and fully experience the symptoms of anxiety. By remaining present with their thoughts and feelings, they learn to decipher when anxiety is reacting to perceived threats and actual threats. By overcoming their initial impulse; which is called the flight-fight-freeze response, the client will think critically about their situation and have the agency to make better decisions.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you are not alone. I can help you. Please contact me.