Anxiety
Symptoms of Anxiety
Physical symptoms you might experience include:
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faster, irregular or more noticeable heartbeat
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feeling lightheaded and dizzy
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headaches
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chest pains
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loss of appetite
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sweating
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breathlessness
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feeling hot
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shaking
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Feelings you might experience:
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feeling tense or nervous
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being unable to relax
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worrying about the past or future
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feeling tearful
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not being able to sleep
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difficulty concentrating
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feeling irritated
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fear of the worst happening
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intrusive traumatic memories
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obsessive thought
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Impact on behaviours you might experience:
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not being able to enjoy your leisure time
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difficulty looking after yourself
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struggling to form or maintain relationships
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worried about trying new things
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avoiding places and situations that create anxiety
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compulsive behaviour, such as constantly checking things
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reacting negatively to others
Panic Attacks
If you experience sudden, intense anxiety and fear, it might be the symptoms of a panic attack. Other symptoms may include:
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a racing heartbeat
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feeling faint, dizzy or lightheaded
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feeling that you're losing control
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sweating, trembling or shaking
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shortness of breath or breathing very quickly
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a tingling in your fingers or lips
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feeling sick (nausea)
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A panic attack usually lasts 5 to 30 minutes. They can be frightening, but they're not dangerous and should not harm you.
How can Counselling help you with Anxiety?
Counselling provides a safe space if you are experiencing anxiety to explore feelings and thoughts, helping to identify triggers and develop coping strategies. Through various techniques, I can help support you in understanding your anxiety and fostering resilience with different tools and techniques. Ultimately, counselling can empower you to manage your anxiety more effectively, leading to improved emotional well-being.
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Counselling Techniques to help with anxiety:
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- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a widely recognized and effective treatment approach that focuses on the interplay between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. By identifying and challenging negative thought patterns, CBT helps you to develop healthier coping strategies and improve your overall emotional well-being. This is widely known a structured and goal-oriented therapy commonly used to address a variety of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, and stress management.
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- Exposure Therapy - Exposure therapy is a psychological treatment designed to help you to confront your fears and anxieties in a controlled, safe environment. I work with you at a pace that feels safe, and we can work to gradually exposing you to the sources of your fear. We first explore what your triggers might be, and put in techniques you can use to help soothe. Then we work to reduce your emotional response associated with these triggers. Through repeated exposure, you can better understand your anxiety and learn to manage it and ultimately gain a sense of control over your fears. This evidence-based approach is used to treat various conditions, including phobias, PTSD, anxiety disorders.
