Anxiety can be very difficult and others don’t understand it -
If you suffer from debilitating anxiety, panic attacks, persistent worrying, fears, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or generalized anxiety, I can help you. I provide treatment for each of these, and other sub-types of anxiety. Anxiety is very common now - it is not clear if this was always the case and it's just being recognized now, or if there is actually a rise in numbers of people with anxiety.
Have family members or friends told you to just stop thinking this way?
All of us feel anxious from time to time. But when feelings of anxiety occur regularly and begin to interfere with your job, relationships, your health or other aspects of your daily life, it's time to pursue treatment with a mental health professional. People who don’t experience it the way you do generally don’t understand - which makes it more painful, and it can be very isolating.
Anxiety means worry, tension, fear, rapid heart rate, headaches, and a host of physical, mental and emotional problems. Anxiety does have physical roots sometimes, and it can be helped, it can be reduced - it can be managed. Sometimes it’s a more completely emotional set of issues, that can be sorted out and anxiety can be eliminated. It takes time, and work - together we can do it!
How does therapy for anxiety work?
I work to help my clients better understand, recognize and manage the physical and psychological effects of anxiety disorders. The treatment and care I offer is highly personalized for each individual client. There are many common aspects of anxiety, but everyone is unique. I make constant efforts to further understand your experience, your personal history, your current situations - in more detail and depth. This helps you to better recognize the signs that anxiety is about to occur, or is occurring. This process also helps you recognize the “triggers” that often tend to set off the anxiety.
My anxiety feels suddenly worse -
People who have anxiety usually have actually had it for a very long time, even if it seems like an acute phase. It has almost always been "running in the background" and has been such an integral part of everyday life, and routine experience, you haven't really known it was there until it gets a lot worse.
Where does anxiety come from?
There are a multitude of dynamics that create, and keep anxiety going. One of the most common is suppressed anger. Suppressed anger is often felt as stress, frustration, resentment and tension. Fear is very much part of the picture as well. What starts it all? Well, you and I go fishing - we go exploring - that is a lot of what therapy is about, especially in the beginning - talking, without expectation or judgement - about the present and past.
How does therapy help?
Just being able to talk openly about your anxiety is a big help. Talking out loud, being heard, not being judged or interrupted, ignored - or worse still - being told what to do - is all a relief. I do make suggestions at times, but they are only that - suggestions. There is no pressure, just an offering of a thought. The last thing I want to do is add to the internal pressure, or external sources of pressure that you are experiencing.
Throughout the process, my aim is to help you decrease the level of anxiety that you are feeling and to help you feel free of the constraints it has been imposing on you. I want you to feel the sense of freedom that comes from reducing anxiety and feeling more in control of your self and your life. When anxiety is lower, we all feel more energetic and make better choices - things begin to move in a more positive direction and gather momentum.
When you are ready to work on reducing your anxiety, call me - I can help you feel better ~ 609 841 9159 - whether you are in Corrales, Albuquerque, NM or another location.