Anxiety & Anxiety Treatment

Statistics tell us that Anxiety and panic are among the most common mental disorders in Australia, with only one third of sufferers seeking treatment each year. The average age for onset of anxiety disorders in Australia is age 11, and panic age 5. As anxiety can seep into other conditions such as depression and mood disorders, finding the right anxiety treatment approach is dependent on how damaging the symptoms are for the individual. Anxiety can often take on physical symptoms which can be so intense and crippling that they interfere with daily living. If the symptoms get to this point of debilitation, then it might be time to speak to a professional who can set you up with tools to manage the disorder. Read on to discover a variety of anxiety treatment options.

 

What is anxiety?

Any stressful situation with evokes anxiety is a normal, natural, reactionary response to anything we may find threatening. The physiological symptoms of anxiety can sometimes be referred to as a ‘fight or flight’ response; your body stimulates a physical response to stress/threat so that your mind can act accordingly; that is, to ‘fight’ or ‘flight’ (run). Without this response, we wouldn’t have the ‘fight’ in us to push through in a stressful exam, or — to a greater extent — run away from a potentially life-threatening situation. Common triggering factors can include: starting a new job, a traumatic event, abuse, pregnancy or giving birth, or the death of a loved one. Although this kind of anxious response is healthy – and necessary – if you find yourself in a state of extreme nervousness all the time, and for no apparent reason (that you’re aware of), this could be a sign of a (treatable) psychological disorder. These disorders can fall under many different streams: panic attacks, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and generalised anxiety disorder. When persistent anxious thoughts or irrational fear begin to take over your life, it may be time to seek help in managing these symptoms and overcome the worry.

If you are suffering from anxiety, please know — you’re not alone! Anxiety is the most common mental illness in Australia, and is estimated to affect 2 million people every year. It may commonly occur in combination with depression or drug and alcohol abuse, but is seen to effect each individual differently.

Symptoms of an Anxiety Disorder:

Anxiety disorders have a range of symptoms, all of which may vary in severity. These include:

Or maybe you have experienced the following…

I stood there- paralysed, heart racing, palms sweating, chest tight, my mouth completely dried up, hands and feet tingling, adrenaline pumping… I was feeling sick to my stomach because I had just imagined all the possible things that could go wrong at tonight’s dinner party. Does this sound familiar to you? Maybe replace this scenario with “I’d just seen a spider”, or “I’d just thought my partner could be having an affair”, or “I’d just said something stupid out loud to a group of people”, or “I’d just received a promotion at work”, or what about “I’d just woken up”.

What is Generalised Anxiety Disorder?

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), sometimes called general anxiety or just anxiety, is a leading mental illness. More than 15% of Australians experience generalised anxiety every year, and the results can be catastrophic. Anxiety not only interferes with your sense of well-being but can also make it difficult to work, sustain healthy relationships, sleep, eat and perform other daily tasks.

We all get anxious from time to time. Indeed, without anxiety, we wouldn’t be able to protect ourselves in dangerous situations. The adrenaline-induced fight-or-flight reaction is what enables you to run from a predator, take swift action to protect your family, and set goals designed to reduce health stress. In some people, though, this natural reaction escalates out of control. Generalised anxiety disorder causes you to experience chronic anxiety for no specific reason. Of course, life is full of anxiety, so it’s always easy to find something on which to blame your anxiety. When one source of anxiety – such as seeing the dentist, or awaiting results of a medical test – disappears, your brain moves on to find another source. With a generalised anxiety disorder, the anxiety never lifts.

What Are the Symptoms of General Anxiety?

So how can you tell the difference between “normal” anxiety and an anxiety disorder? Symptoms of a normal anxiety disorder include:

• Feeling anxious for no reason, or experiencing intense anxiety in response to relatively minor stressors.
• Waking up anxious.
• Being unable to sleep because of anxiety.
• Nightmares and disturbing dreams.
• Experiencing physical nervousness, such as a pit in your stomach, sweating, or panic attacks.
• Difficulty functioning in frightening situations. You might, for example, be unable to carry on a conversation when you’re feeling anxious.
• Avoidance of sources of anxiety. Rather than trying to get over the anxiety, most people with anxiety disorders engage in perpetual avoidance.

What Causes General Anxiety?

Like most mental health conditions, generalised anxiety disorder doesn’t have a single cause. Instead, the disorder is likely caused by a complex interaction between several different risk factors. Some people, though, will get anxiety despite having no risk factors; others fail to develop the condition even when they have every risk factor:

• An insecure environment; people living in abusive or dangerous situations may become chronically anxious.
• Genetic and biological factors.
• A family history of anxiety; when a parent or sibling repeatedly behaves anxiously, it’s easy to learn this behaviour such that it feels natural and normal.
• Experiencing a traumatic event, such as a rape or child abuse.
• An introverted personality.
• A history of other forms of mental illness.

What is Social Anxiety?

Everyone feels shy or anxious from time to time, but social anxiety goes much deeper than normal social jitters. People with social anxiety feel terror around others, and maybe so debilitated by their anxiety that they cease attempting to create new relationships. Social anxiety is intensely isolating.

Many people with the condition desperately seek connections (we all do!), but don’t have the skills necessary to overcome their anxiety and build strong relationships. Without connections and valuable relationships, you can easily find yourself thrown into a cycle of self-loathing, depression, and isolation. For some, the fear of social interaction is so strong that they develop agoraphobia: a fear of leaving the home. Others experience intense panic attacks that can make it frightening to be alone in public or interfere with their ability to interact socially.

What Are the Symptoms of Social Anxiety?

If you think you have social anxiety, check out these common symptoms:

• Persistently avoiding social situations.
• Sacrificing career or educational goals because of fear about social interactions
• Experiencing anxiety or panic during social interactions
• Being preoccupied with concerns that people don’t like you or are judging you
• Being afraid to leave your home

The physical and psychological symptoms of a social anxiety disorder include:

Often a person who is suffering from these symptoms fears that others will notice the symptoms and this exacerbates the anxiety. Sufferers of social anxiety will avoid situations that they fear will trigger their anxiety. This can negatively impact on a person’s life.

What Causes Social Anxiety?

Social anxiety is not well-understood, which means that, as research progresses, we may gain keener insights into why some people experience social anxiety even as others do not. For now, we know that a number of risk factors increase your likelihood of developing social anxiety. These include:

• A family history of social anxiety. Children of people with social anxiety may develop the condition through genetic means, or could “learn” social anxiety after a lifetime of watching mum or dad struggle with it.
• A history of trauma. People who have experienced violence at the hands of other people are especially vulnerable to social anxiety.
• A prior history of mental illness
• A childhood history of abuse or trauma
• A recent life transition. Someone who’s recently gone through a divorce or moved halfway across the country may feel increasingly anxious in their new surroundings.

Of course, these are just risk factors. It’s possible to get social anxiety disorder for no clear reason, and many people with no risk factors at all also develop the condition. What matters most is not why you have social anxiety, but what you can do about it. And at Three Seas Counselling, we offer you world-class assistance to move beyond the pain of social anxiety.

How to Deal with Anxiety? What are my anxiety treatment options?

Excessive worry about future events, about past interactions, and about the endless number of possible outcomes to current situations activates our body’s natural physiological response to a threat. When we perceive a threat our body naturally prepares to fight or flight. Our body increases the ability to react quicker and with more power by increasing the heart rate, releasing adrenaline and other hormones, increasing our awareness via our senses, along with a number of other intricate physical responses.

Evolutionarily, the fight or flight response meant that our primitive ancestors instinctively prepared to fight or flee when they sensed a nearby threat to their survival. We continue to use this fight or flight response today in varying circumstances. In modern times, survival not only refers to our physical survival, but it also includes social survival or survival of the ego. A threat to our social standing, relationships, or personal success can activate the same fight or flight response that our ancestors would have experienced in the face of a sabre-toothed tiger. It is a natural, protective response system. However, this system can become a problem when we activate the fight or flight response based on our thoughts rather than the reality of a situation.

How Three Seas Counselling Treats General Anxiety

At Three Seas, we know that the prospect of seeking counselling can be scary for those already struggling with anxiety. You may worry about whether what you say will be kept confidential, how effective therapy actually is, or how long therapy will take. We work with you to assuage these fears. Together we’ll develop a comprehensive treatment plan based on your values and needs.

You might not realise it yet, but you think a number of thoughts that make you feel more anxious. Likewise, your anxiety causes you to behave in ways that actually make your fear worse. For instance, you might anxiously delay asking your boss for time off, thereby eliminating your chance at a much-needed vacation. Three Seas works with you to determine how your thoughts affect your behaviour and how your behaviour affects your anxiety. Anxiety is not your fault, but you may be surprised to learn how quickly things can get better if you’re willing to make a few small changes.

The symptoms and commonly associated mental health issues of anxiety can be debilitating for the sufferer. The effects on the person caring for the sufferer can also be extreme and are often overlooked.

How Three Seas Counselling Treats Social Anxiety

As with other anxiety disorders, social anxiety is often found in connection with other mental health issues such as depression, low self-esteem and alcohol and drug abuse. It is important to seek help if you are experiencing stress and anxiety in social contexts. Social anxiety can be treated using medical (drug) or psychological approaches such as cognitive behavioural therapy.
Three Seas offers intensive counselling that can help you:

• Understand why you are anxious
• Dissect choices that may be contributing to your anxiety
• Offer you coping mechanisms
• Help you master new social skills
• Offer you a path out of anxiety

Our counsellors work with you to develop a custom-tailored plan that will treat your anxiety in a way that feels safe and comfortable. We offer confidential, judgment-free settings where you can safely explore your emotions. We know it’s not easy to seek counselling when you struggle with social anxiety, but we use the therapeutic relationship as a testing ground for working beyond anxiety. You can get better, but you won’t without treatment. Let Three Seas do the heavy lifting to pull you out of a life of anxiety and into a life of engaged social commitments.

Eliminate Anxiety with A More Peaceful Mind

Our minds can have a powerful and convincing influence on our ability to judge whether a certain situation, interaction or impending circumstance is actually a threat to us or not. When our minds trick us into believing a threat is real and present, it can cause an uncomfortable physiological reaction.

But what are these threats?

What is it that our mind is tricking us into believing?

Understanding this is one of the first steps to taking control over your anxiety. Provoking thoughts can come in all shapes and sizes but the central factor in the symptomatology of anxiety is worrisome thoughts that just grow bigger and more real, rather than go away. Some people are threatened by the idea that our significant others will abandon them; leaving them rejected and unloved. For others, constant worry about an imminent catastrophe paralyses their ability to judge the likelihood of such an event occurring. We can become anxious about our health, public speaking, feeling like an imposture, not being good enough, being unlovable, how untrustworthy other people are, rejection, our safety, the safety of others… the list goes on. The common theme here is that we tend to feel trapped by this uncomfortable thought and, no matter how illogical our panic may be, the thought can be so convincingly real that our body has to react.

Living with it doesn’t have to be uncomfortable and there are many ways in which we can try to take control over the incessant mind traps we fall into. At The Three Seas Psychology Group, our psychologists are highly qualified and experienced in helping people to overcome and develop a more peaceful and less reactive mind.

We now also offer online therapy options such as telehealth, zoom counselling and phone consultations. To enquire, please call (03) 9809 1000.

Call today and make an appointment to free yourself from this paralysing condition (03) 9809 1000

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