What is Anxiety?
Some degree of anxiety is entirely natural in a human being. It’s a feeling we need, in fact, in order to navigate the world. Anxiety warns us of threats, putting us on high alert, but unlike a fear we can point to, it’s a feeling we often find hard to pin down. Too much anxiety can be a debilitating issue to live with, taking over our lived experience if it “rules the roost” and becomes a dominant force. In such circumstances, we often feel compelled to avoid situations that provoke this feeling, leading to a situation in which it is an overwhelming feeling that essentially makes the decisions, rather than a well-functioning self.
What to look for:
In Therapy
Psychotherapy bears in mind the past as well as the present, since both can contribute to how we feel. When anxiety is manifesting a problematic levels and frequencies, we often find its roots in past experiences. Our body-mind holds onto experience in a way that is similar to non-visual memory, so that when we’re “reminded” of something traumatic in our past, we’ll receive the danger signal of anxiety.
A core part of therapy is to make sense of your anxiety. What is setting it off, and why? I’ll help you find these answers, whether they lie in the present or the past. I’ll also help you be mindful of your anxiety in the moment, help you understand what is triggering you, and how to self-calm (regulate). Given time, we'll work towards freeing you from the dominance of anxiety so that you can live the life you want.
Some degree of anxiety is entirely natural in a human being. It’s a feeling we need, in fact, in order to navigate the world. Anxiety warns us of threats, putting us on high alert, but unlike a fear we can point to, it’s a feeling we often find hard to pin down. Too much anxiety can be a debilitating issue to live with, taking over our lived experience if it “rules the roost” and becomes a dominant force. In such circumstances, we often feel compelled to avoid situations that provoke this feeling, leading to a situation in which it is an overwhelming feeling that essentially makes the decisions, rather than a well-functioning self.
What to look for:
- highly elevated anxiety can become a panic attack
- there’s often a “trigger” that’s important to understand
- avoidance - we tend to avoid situations that provoke anxiety, something that can lead to lost opportunities and isolation
- worrying - sometimes referred to as the “mentation”, or mental manifestation of anxiety
- unlike worry, anxiety is a feeling that often has physical symptoms: eg. sweating, elevated heart-rate, a pressing need to move or escape
In Therapy
Psychotherapy bears in mind the past as well as the present, since both can contribute to how we feel. When anxiety is manifesting a problematic levels and frequencies, we often find its roots in past experiences. Our body-mind holds onto experience in a way that is similar to non-visual memory, so that when we’re “reminded” of something traumatic in our past, we’ll receive the danger signal of anxiety.
A core part of therapy is to make sense of your anxiety. What is setting it off, and why? I’ll help you find these answers, whether they lie in the present or the past. I’ll also help you be mindful of your anxiety in the moment, help you understand what is triggering you, and how to self-calm (regulate). Given time, we'll work towards freeing you from the dominance of anxiety so that you can live the life you want.