Calming the Storm: When to seek counseling for anxiety.

It can be hard to reach out for help with you are experiencing anxiety but that might be exactly what you need to do in order to feel better. Treatment for anxiety involves counseling and frequently medication. Not everyone who is experiencing significant anxiety needs medication to overcome it but many people do. Taking medication to ease symptoms of anxiety can be hard but many of our clients do and report that it has helped them tremendously (along with therapy of course)!

            So when should you seek counseling for anxiety? This article should give you a good idea about when help from a professional is likely needed. The first thing to ask yourself is, am I in distress most days of the week? Many people with anxiety find that it gradually or sometimes not so gradually begins to impact them most days or every day. This is a good indication that you should reach out and set up an appointment to talk about how you have been feeling.

You may also need to seek counseling for anxiety if you find it difficult to control your worrying. You may feel like you are always distracted by fearful thinking or what we call “worst case scenario” type of thoughts. Ask yourself, are minor things turning into elaborate horrible stories in your mind? If so, this might be a good indicator that you should contact a therapist to begin counseling for your anxiety. You may find yourself lying awake at night worrying about various things in your life. If your sleep is being disrupted by worry you are likely to begin feeling more anxious. Lack of sleep can really contribute to a rise in stress in the body resulting in increased anxiety.

You should seek counseling for anxiety when your relationships begin to suffer. Anxiety is hard for the person experiencing it and it is also hard for those around them. You may be more irritable and less able to focus on your relationships. You may find yourself snapping at your children or your spouse more than you’d like to. You may begin to feel guilty about these interactions which may further increase your anxiety. Anxiety can lead to conflicts in marriage or with other significant others. If you are finding that you are experiencing challenges with those around you due to anxiety, please know help is available. Therapy for anxiety can bring you much needed relief.

The last sign that you should seek counseling for anxiety that we will cover (there are more but this is a good start) is panic attacks. Panic attacks are a rapid surge of adrenaline in your body that can result in racing heart rate, shortness of breath, feelings of depersonalization (feeling disconnected from yourself), shaking, and fear you are dying or something catastrophic will happen. You may experience all of these or just a few when experiencing a panic attack. It is an intense and frightening experience. There are many tools and coping strategies you can learn and work on with your therapist to help you if you are experiencing panic attacks. It is always a good idea to get help for your anxiety when you are also having panic attacks.

Our staff have worked with many clients experiencing anxiety and who have seen great improvement in their symptoms through the course of therapy. There is no shame in talking to a therapist about your anxiety. We understand and some of us have also lived with anxiety. There are many causes of anxiety and many ways to treat it. You do not have to continue to suffer alone! Reach out! We are here to help.