Anxiety Treatment

IS ANXIETY TREATMENT FOR YOU?

Do you have anxiety symptoms?

Do you wake up after only a few hours of sleep because you had difficulty sleeping due to obsessive thoughts about worry? You’re tired and anxious about the day ahead of you, maybe even concerned you may experience episodes of your heart racing fast and feeling like you cannot take breath, without notice and with intense fear. Do you have unwanted paranoid thoughts about your partner, work or life in general? Are you preoccupied with making sure you can “get out” of a social situation that you find yourself in, or avoid it all together? Maybe you feel like you are holding on by a thread to function day to day, taking off of work, missing out on recreational activities, or having more trouble parenting than in the past. You could even have some physical issues like neck and back tension, sweaty palms, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, inability to sit still, and/or dizziness. Perhaps you are using alcohol to calm your nerves. Have these feelings been going on for more than 2 weeks?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THESE FEELINGS

Many people have problematic anxiety. 40 million people in the U.S. over the age of 18 are affected by anxiety — roughly 18 percent of the nation’s population. In fact, anxiety is the most common mental health issue in the U.S.1

What is anxiety? Anxiety can be confusing because there are several types of anxiety disorders that affect people. Anxiety disorders can become so severe that normal life and relationships become impaired. Each type of anxiety disorders has its own unique sets of symptoms. Some of these anxieties include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social phobia (or social anxiety disorder), specific phobias, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).2

THE GOOD NEWS

The good news is the mental health field has made significant gains in successful treatment of anxiety issues. Today, anxiety is very treatable. Also, effective anxiety treatment is becoming more and more available across the US.

Most situations of anxiety disorder can be treated successfully by trained mental health professionals. We have growing amounts of research that show how very effective the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is with anxiety treatment.

WHAT ARE PROVEN TREATMENTS FOR ANXIETY?

You have access to treatment that works. You can start feeling better soon.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective treatments for anxiety. If you were to come to Victor Counseling Practice you would learn how your thoughts, feelings and behaviors are intertwined and how each contain secrets to reducing your anxiety. For example, it is common for anxiety to cause us to think “nothing is going to work out, everyone is watching what I do, if something bad will happen it will happen to me.” Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps anxious people to recognize these thoughts, do a reality check regarding these thoughts and redirect or reframe the thoughts to produce less anxious feelings and more productive behaviors.

Other forms of treatment are developing effective coping skills. These can include deep breathing, relaxation skills, imagery, mindfulness and meditation. We go step-by-step through these approaches that best suit you so they become stress reducing habits.

At times people have past traumatic experiences that exacerbate the anxiety. We call this an underlying issue. In therapy, you would learn how this causes the anxiety to heighten. You would learn how to identify the root feelings and thoughts that trigger your anxiety. Then discover how to reframe your thoughts so that the anxiety from the past does not effective you so harshly today.

If your anxiety includes panic attacks, we have several options to reduce this frightening condition. Once people get a handle on the process and causes of a panic attack they can quickly start learning skills to manage them.

“Most people experience feelings of anxiety before an important event such as a big exam, business presentation or first date. Anxiety disorders, however, are illnesses that cause people to feel frightened, distressed and uneasy for no apparent reason. Left untreated, these disorders can dramatically reduce productivity and significantly diminish an individual’s quality of life.”3

YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO LET ANXIETY AFFECT YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE

Over our 20 years of clinical practice, we have learned to refine my methods to match each individual’s needs. For instance, many people find it very therapeutic to take the first half of the session to verbalize their fears and pain before working on building coping skills. Many people have confirmed my thoughts by saying that the most helpful aspect of therapy for them was when they felt understood and heard by me.

MAYBE YOU ARE SKEPTICAL OF COUNSELING:

I feel so anxious all the time. I’m stressed out just trying to call a counselor.

It is expected that people who suffer from anxiety would have apprehensions about attending therapy. Even someone who does not experience significant anxiety has reservations about talking to a stranger. You should expect to feel some relief from the very first phone call to arrange the appointment. If you don’t, you may want to look elsewhere. As therapist, we are trained to relate and engage with you, even though you are very anxious. People I work with have told me “I can’t believe I am here talking to you, I could barely make it out of the house.” In these situations, I typically tell people to just try one session and see if you feel like coming back. Frequently, people do come back because they feel a significant amount of relief once they start talking. They report that talking with someone who is not in their personal life and can offer information and solutions to their fears is very helpful.

I have noticed my productivity at work and my relationships seem to be suffering. Can anxiety treatment help?

Most of the time treatment for anxiety can help significantly with work and relationship problems. However, this might not happen right away in every case. For example, sometimes in treating anxiety, we discover other issues that may be impacting the anxiety and need to be addressed. So, in this case, it would take a little longer, but still, on average, anxiety issues are very treatable. Many people I have treated find a marked improvement in their home and work lives.

Do I have to give up alcohol to get treatment?

This is not a yes or no answer. Many people who enjoy alcohol on a social basis can engage in treatment for anxiety and continue moderate drinking. However, this is a better question for your doctor to answer. From a psychological point of view, alcohol becomes a problem is when it is masking or covering up the anxious feelings, and this will impair treatment. Heavy use makes therapy less successful. In this case, your doctor will most likely have better alternatives than alcohol to deal with the pain of anxiety. These alternatives typically do not have as many harmful side effects as alcohol, at home, work and with your personal health.

TRACK RECORD:

How do you know that counseling will really work for you? There are many good therapists. Unfortunately, at the present time (September 2016) there are limited counselors in Victor, NY who take insurances. Victor Counseling Practice in Victor, NY accepts most insurances which can make counseling affordable. In addition, Jeff Young, LCSW-R has a long track record of providing effective anxiety treatment. Many of the people we have seen for anxiety related issues have shown significant improvement within 2 to 4 months.

WHAT RENEW HOPE AND HEALING HAS TO OFFER:

We have convenient hours, starting at 7 AM Monday through Thursday for those who need appointments before work or after a night shift, and as late as 8 PM on Monday and Wednesdays for those who need appointments after work.
We accept most insurances and will work with people who have a financial hardship.
We are located in an underserved area in Victor, NY.
Jeff is licensed in NYS and has over 20 experience with anxiety counseling and treating many types of anxiety.
Many clients at the last session report their experience: “I felt listened to and understood, I was able to gains useful skills to deal with my depression, I wish I came earlier.”

NEXT STEPS TO HEALING:

Call your Primary Care Physician for a consultation.
Research your options for counseling in your area.
Call/Text Victor Counseling Practice in Victor, NY at 585-398-8835 for a consult or an appointment.

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Victor Counseling Practice: Located in Victor, NY. Also servicing surrounding areas such as: Canandaigua, Farmington, Clifton Springs, Geneva, Shortsville, Macedon, Palmyra, Perinton, Pittsford, Fairport and Bloomfield.

REFERENCES:

1 https://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/depression. ADAA, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and cure of anxiety, depressive, obsessive-compulsive, and trauma-related disorders through education, practice, and research. September 25, 2016.

2 https://bbrfoundation.org/anxiety Copyright © 2016 The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation is committed to alleviating the suffering caused by mental illness by awarding grants that will lead to advances and breakthroughs in scientific research. September 25, 2016.

3 http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/anxiety-disorders © Copyright 2016 | Mental Health America | Formerly known as the National Mental Health Association. MHA permits electronic copying and sharing of all portions of its public website and requests in return only the customary copyright acknowledgment, using “© Copyright Mental Health America” and the date of the download. September 25, 2016.

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