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What is Anxiety?
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It’s normal to feel stressed or worried from time to time. It’s a common emotion that helps keep you and your family safe. However, when you live with excessive levels of fear or anxiety concerning situations that aren’t usually dangerous, you may have an anxiety disorder.
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is the most common anxiety diagnosis. GAD causes extreme concerns about future events or regular day-to-day situations like work projects, health, or minor matters like chores or appointments. Other common types of anxiety include:
Panic disorder
Social anxiety disorder
Separation anxiety disorder
Specific phobias
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Anxiety causes a variety of symptoms including emotional symptoms like feeling nervous or having a sense of impending danger. You may also have physical symptoms like heart palpitations, sweating, shaking, or shortness of breath. Anxiety can also disturb your sleep or cause concentration issues and indecisiveness. Some physical health conditions can produce or aggravate anxiety symptoms such as thyroid problems or heart conditions.
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What Causes Anxiety?
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The precise cause of anxiety is unique to each person. However, your family medical history, the social environment you live/have lived in, your psychological beliefs and genetics contribute to your risk of the condition. If you or a family member have a history of anxiety or other mental health disorders, you’re more likely to develop an anxiety disorder. Other risk factors for anxiety include trauma, drug or alcohol misuse, and a personal history of neglect, poverty, or abuse.
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How is Anxiety Treated?
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TRSA counselors offer customized therapy to help you learn to cope with your anxiety and adjust your responses to your intrusive thoughts and fears. Many of her patients benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
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CBT is a specific type of therapy where you learn to recognize and re-evaluate your thought distortions. You practice problem-solving skills and change your behavioral patterns, developing a greater sense of confidence in your own abilities.
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EMDR
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Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of psychotherapy that is an effective treatment for mental health conditions including trauma, anxiety, addiction disorders, and more. EMDR includes eight treatment stages focusing on the past, present, and future to heal and transform wounds that may be causing your anxiety. All TRSA Counselors are EMDR trained and Jordanna is a Member of EMDRIA.
If anxiety is preventing you from leading a full and active life, call Trauma Recovery Services of Arizona to make an appointment.
