Anxiety Disorders

What is an Anxiety Disorder?

Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life, but anxiety disorders involve more than day-to-day stress. Do you find yourself struggling with an excessive amount of fear or worry that interferes with your daily life? Is it impossible to control or talk yourself out of your anxiety? Do you avoid people, places, or situations because it’s too much to handle? Perhaps you find yourself replaying various situations in your mind, or dealing with physical symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and sleep disturbances. Maybe you “overreact” or lash out at times when you feel overwhelmed by your emotions. Anxiety can have major impacts on your life and rob you of your joy and peace. There are several types of anxiety disorders:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder is characterized by a persistent state of worry about a number of situations, such as work, finances, health, the safety of loved ones, or being on time. Sometimes the individual can’t even identify the object of their worry - they just feel a vague sense of unease or dread. Physical symptoms are also present, such as muscle tension, stomachaches, headaches, or difficulty sleeping.

Social Anxiety Disorder involves fear of social situations where an individual might be scrutinized or judged by others. Examples include meeting new people, performing or speaking in front of a group, eating in front of others, or any scenario where they fear they may be embarrassed or judged. A person with social anxiety disorder will go to great lengths to avoid such situations, or endure them with distress or discomfort.

Panic Disorders are recurrent, sudden surges of intense fear that involve multiple physical symptoms such as trembling, shortness of breath, nausea or dizziness, or heart palpitations. These symptoms usually reach a peak within minutes and cause extreme distress. People with panic disorder can find themselves worrying about a panic attack happening again and may start to avoid certain places or situations where they experienced a previous panic attack.

Specific Phobias feature disproportionate fear about a certain object or situation such as insects or animals, heights, weather events such as thunderstorms, or going to the doctor. Someone with specific phobias may be aware that their fear is illogical but still be unable to control it. The person typically avoids the object or situation or endures it with extreme anxiety or distress. Sometimes, the mere thought of the phobic object causes intense feelings of fear.

Agoraphobia involves fear of leaving environments where a person feels safe. Individuals with agoraphobia fear places or situations where they might feel trapped, embarrassed, or unable to get help. This includes public transportation, being in either open or enclosed spaces, being in a crowd, or sometimes being outside the home at all. People with agoraphobia usually have thoughts that something terrible will happen and can experience severe panic attacks when they are exposed to the feared situation.

What Causes Anxiety Disorders?

It isn’t exactly known what causes someone to develop an anxiety disorder. It is theorized that a person can have genetic traits or certain brain chemistry that makes them more prone to anxiety. These factors combined with negative life experiences can trigger an anxiety disorder. Often, the negative coping mechanisms an individual develops in response to anxiety end up making the anxiety itself worse, creating a vicious cycle. Medical problems such as asthma, thyroid issues, or hormonal imbalances, and certain medications, can play a role in the development or worsening of an anxiety disorder.

What are the Symptoms of an Anxiety Disorder?

The major symptom of an anxiety disorder is excessive fear or worry that interferes with a person’s daily life. Another major symptom is that the person avoids the object or situation that causes the anxiety, even if it means inconveniencing themselves or altering their lives in drastic ways. Other symptoms include, but are not limited to:

Fatigue
Irritability
Restlessness
Difficulty concentrating
Sleep disturbance
Nausea
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Shaking or trembling
Heart palpitations

How are Anxiety Disorders Treated?

Anxiety disorders are generally treated with psychotherapy, medication, or both. There are a number of therapy treatments that have been shown to help people with anxiety disorders. it is important to work with your therapist to make sure the treatment you receive is tailored to your specific needs. I use a variety of approaches in my work with clients who struggle with anxiety disorders, including:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is considered the “gold standard” of psychotherapy and is recommended as a first-line treatment for anxiety disorders. It is considered a solution-focused form of talk therapy and focuses on identifying, challenging, and replacing dysfunctional thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. CBT utilizes a variety of therapeutic strategies, including Psychoeducation, Cognitive Restructuring, Exposure, Behavioral Activation, Relaxation Training, Homework, and Relapse Prevention.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT encourages clients to embrace the full range of their emotions, increase self-compassion, and remain present with difficult thoughts and feelings. ACT focuses on 6 core processes that promote psychological flexibility: Acceptance, Cognitive Defusion, Being Present, Self as Context, Values, and Committed Action. Clients learn to change unhealthy behaviors, adapt to life experiences, and improve their emotional states.

Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy focuses on empowering clients to become experts on their own lives. Emphasis is placed on the “stories” that are developed through the client’s experiences and interactions, and the meaning placed on those stories. Narrative therapy involves several core aspects, including Deconstruction, Externalization, Rewriting the Script, and Unique Outcomes. This form of therapy can be combined with other modalities and is helpful for people suffering from anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and emotional dysregulation.