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Edmonton Anxiety Counselling
Anxiety, a common human experience, permeates our lives in various forms. Anxiety surfaces when we encounter situations that stir unease, worry, and fear. It is a natural response, intricately woven into our emotional fabric. Anxiety can manifest as restlessness, increased heart rate, perspiration, and a clouded mind. Understanding anxiety entails recognizing its impact on our thoughts, behaviors, and overall well-being.
By acknowledging anxiety’s presence, we can take proactive steps to navigate its complexities and find solace. Exploring anxiety through compassionate conversations, therapeutic support, and self-care practices empowers us to cultivate resilience and embrace a more balanced life. With a deeper understanding of anxiety, we can unravel its intricacies and foster a healthier relationship with our own emotions.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are characterized by feelings of worry, anxiety, unease, or fear that are strong enough to interfere with your daily activities. Symptoms include stress that logically seems out of proportion to your emotional reaction, an inability to set aside a worry, and feeling restless.
There are a number of different disorders associated with anxiety. Here is a list of the anxiety disorders that we offer counselling for.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder: a psychological disorder characterized by excessive or disproportionate anxiety about several aspects of life, such as work, social relationships, or financial matters.
Social Anxiety Disorder: an anxiety disorder in which a person has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations. Also described as intense nervousness, anxiety and self-consciousness arise from a fear of being closely watched, judged, and criticized by others.
Panic Disorder: a type of anxiety disorder, panic disorder occurs when an individual experiences frequent, intense panic attacks. These panic attacks can run from discomforting to debilitating, and can include multiple physical conditions, including a rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, shaking, nausea, and a feeling of detachment from mind, body, and even reality.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): OCD involves unwanted and disturbing thoughts, images, or urges (obsessions) that intrude into a person’s mind and cause a great deal of anxiety or discomfort, which the person then tries to reduce by engaging in repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions).
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, or learning that a traumatic event has happened to a loved one. DSM5 defines a traumatic event as exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence.
Phobias: Phobias can be divided into specific phobias, social phobia, and agoraphobia. Types of specific phobias include to certain animals, natural environment situations, blood or injury, and specific situations. The most common are fear of spiders, fear of snakes, and fear of heights.
Edmonton Anxiety Support and Treatment
Treatment regarding anxiety involves us first identifying the impact your symptoms are having on your life by doing an anxiety assessment. The key for anxiety counselling is to work on teaching you skills and strategies to help ease and regulate your mental and physical responses to anxiety. In doing so, you will learn to feel more confident in being able to handle anxiety-provoking situations and react less to them.
Anxiety Assessment: To begin the treatment process, we conduct a thorough assessment to gain insight into how anxiety is affecting various areas of your life. This assessment helps us understand the specific triggers, patterns, and severity of your anxiety symptoms. By identifying these factors, we can tailor the treatment approach to address your unique needs and goals.
Skill Development: Anxiety counselling is centered around empowering you with practical skills and strategies to regulate your mental and physical responses to anxiety. Through therapy sessions, we will work together to develop coping mechanisms that promote relaxation, reduce stress, and enhance your ability to handle anxiety-provoking situations. By learning these skills, you can feel more confident in managing your anxiety and experience a greater sense of control.
Cognitive-Behavioral Techniques: Our anxiety treatment approach often incorporates cognitive-behavioral techniques. This involves exploring and challenging the negative thought patterns and beliefs that contribute to anxiety. We will help you develop healthier thought patterns and provide tools to reframe anxious thoughts, allowing you to gain a more balanced perspective and reduce the intensity of anxiety.
Exposure Therapy: For individuals with specific phobias or anxiety related to certain situations or objects, exposure therapy may be utilized. This involves gradually and safely exposing you to feared situations or stimuli in a controlled manner, allowing you to confront and overcome your anxiety in a supportive environment. Through exposure therapy, you can build resilience, reduce avoidance behaviors, and develop a greater sense of mastery over anxiety-inducing situations.
Continued Support: We understand that managing anxiety is an ongoing process, and we provide continued support throughout your treatment journey. Our psychologists are dedicated to helping you develop long-term strategies to prevent relapse, cope with future challenges, and maintain your progress. We are here to support you in building resilience and leading a more fulfilling life, free from the constraints of anxiety.
Some of the symptoms associated with anxiety disorders include:
- Fatigue
- Restlessness
- Sweating
- Hypervigilance
- Irritability
- Racing Thoughts
- Worry
- Fear
- Insomnia
- Nausea/Constipation/Diarrhea
- Poor Concentration
- Increased Heart Rate
- Trembling
Frequently Asked Questions
What is anxiety?
Anxiety emerges as a natural reaction to stress or perceived threats, displaying itself through feelings of worry, fear, and unease. Anxiety is often accompanied by physiological signs, including an increased heart rate, sweating, and restlessness.
What are the different types of anxiety disorders?
The realm of anxiety disorders encompasses several distinct types, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Each disorder manifests with unique symptoms and triggers, requiring specific attention and treatment approaches.
What causes anxiety disorders?
Anxiety disorders can have various causes, including genetic factors, brain chemistry imbalances, traumatic experiences, chronic stress, and environmental factors.
Can anxiety be treated?
Yes, anxiety disorders are highly treatable. Treatment approaches may include therapy (such as cognitive-behavioral therapy), medication, lifestyle changes, and self-help strategies.
What is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a commonly used therapeutic approach for anxiety treatment. It focuses on identifying and modifying negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to anxiety, helping individuals develop healthier coping mechanisms.
Is medication necessary for anxiety treatment?
Medication can be beneficial for some individuals with anxiety disorders, particularly in combination with therapy. However, the need for medication depends on the severity and specific type of anxiety disorder, and it is best determined by a healthcare professional.