a common psychological health issue, impacts millions of people worldwide. Anxiety Therapy Edinburgh … As a Certified Medical Social Worker (LCSW), I have actually seen the impact of anxiety on numerous lives. In this post, I will share an in-depth expedition of stress and anxiety through the lens of a recent therapy session with a client, highlighting signs, treatment methods, and my personal journey as a therapist with my own experiences of anxiety In addition, we will talk about a term paper by Harvard University that sheds light on the complex nature of anxiety.|Anxiety, a prevalent psychological health issue, impacts millions of people worldwide. As an Accredited Scientific Social Employee (LCSW), I have seen the effect of anxiety on countless lives.}
presentation on strengths-based biopsychosocial approaches to attending to stress and anxiety and while those are terrific you understand I believed possibly we should look at you understand what’s a few of the current research study so I entered into PubMed which is I don’t understand it’s play ground for me it’s where you find a lot of the journal posts and you can arrange and I sorted by posts that were done and meta-analyses that were done within the past 5 years so that offers us a concept about current research study I imply there’s a great deal of things that is still the exact same like a few of the medications that were known to work ten years back are still understood to be you understand excellent first-line treatments but there are also some newcomers that we’ll discuss and there are also some changes that we’re going to discuss so we’re going to check out some typical causes for anxiety symptoms in order to treat it we truly require to and obviously this does play into the biopsychosocial element we actually need to understand type of what triggers it due to the fact that anxiety that’s caused by for example someone having a racing heart may be various than stress and anxiety that’s triggered for somebody who has desertion concerns so we’re gon na treat the two things differently so we wish to take a look at some of the common causes we’re gon na take a look at some common triggers for stress and anxiety you know what are a few of these common themes that we see in practice and I will ask you to share a few of the themes that you see that underlie a lot or highlight of your customers stress and anxiety and determine current best practices for stress and anxiety management consisting of counseling interventions medications physical interventions and supportive treatments so we care because anxiety.
can be crippling and a lot of our customers have stress and anxiety a great deal of our clients have anxiety comorbid with depression and they’re taking a look at us going how can I feel anxious and stressed and like I can’t sit still and depressed at the same time you know when you’re depressed you’re expected to want to sleep well a great deal of times individuals who are have both issues really wish to sleep however they can’t so I wish to help customers understand that also sometimes anxiety when people are anxious for enough time the body begins sort of holding on to the cortisol the body actually acknowledges at a certain point this is a losing battle I’m not going to put energy into this anymore so it starts with drawing some of its excitatory neurotransmitter so to speak and people will start to feel depressed essentially the brain has actually already stated this is hopeless this is you’re you’re defenseless to alter the scenario so then people start feeling defenseless and helpless which is sort of the meaning if you will of depression low-grade chronic tension and anxiety developed energy and people’s capability to focus so if we’re going to help them become their uber selves we require to help them figure out how to address stress and anxiety not simply generalized frustrating devastating stress and anxiety but likewise panic social stress and anxiety and those small stress and anxiety sets off that occurred that may not satisfy the limit for a medical diagnosis stress and anxiety is a major trigger for addiction regression if you have a client who is self
medicated prior to or had an addiction for some reason anxiety is a significant trigger increased physical discomfort when stress and anxiety increases individuals tend to tense their muscles when they tense their muscles they tend to feel more discomfort I mean think about when you’re stressed you tend to have more pain like in your neck in your back and things that already hurt may harm more why due to the fact that serotonin which is one of our major anti-anxiety neurotransmitters is also one of our major discomfort modulators so when serotonin levels are too low because stress and anxiety is high then our pain perception is going to be more acute and individuals can have sleep issues if you’re stressed your body thinks there’s a danger you’re not going to have the ability to enter that deep restful sleep you may have you might sleep you may sleep a lot but it’s most likely not quality sleep which suggests your neurotransmitters may leave whack your hormones make it out of whack and your body is going to begin viewing your itself in a persistent state of tension when we’re exhausted the body understands that we may be the weakest link in the herd so it continues to produce cortisol to keep keep you on alert a little bit so you might once again you may be resting kind of like when you have a new baby at home those very first couple of months that my children were home from the health center I slept but I didn’t sleep well I suggest the smallest little sound and I was awake and I was looking around and you understand I felt it I felt exhausted and a lot of new parents do so activates for stress and anxiety abandonment and rejection and we’re going to speak about ways we may wish to deal with these things however some of the underlying themes that I’ve seen in a lot of clients and when I do the research what a great deal of what styles that come out consist of low self-esteem
if somebody has low self-confidence they’re looking to be externally validated oftentimes they’re searching for somebody else to tell them you’re lovable you’re fine so that can lead to stress and anxiety about not having individuals to tell them you’re okay which makes their relationships rare and can make them inefficient illogical thoughts and cognitive distortions might lead people to believe that if I’m not ideal for instance I am not lovable so we’re going to take a look at some unreasonable ideas and cognitive distortions unhealthy social supports and relationships when you’re in a relationship it takes 2 to tango and even if your client is reasonably mentally and physically healthy if they remain in a dysfunctional relationship they can fear desertion and rejection if that other individual is constantly saying if you do not do X I’m going to leave you or if that other person is always cheating on them or whatever so relationships can activate abandonment anxiety and ineffective social abilities can lead to relationship turmoil and social exile if our clients remain in relationships even if they’re not entirely dysfunctional if our clients are not able to request for what they require and set suitable limits and handle conflict successfully since dispute takes place in every relationship then they may start to argue more which might lead to fearing may result in relationships ending in the past and them working out every relationship I enter ends which means I should not be lovable so they start fearing abandonment and rejection so these are four areas that we can take a look at one more evaluating customers another issue is the unknown and loss of control a great deal of times negative self-talk and cognitive distortions can add to that if I do not have control of whatever then it’s all going to be a catastrophe negative others when clients hang out or when people hang out with unfavorable individuals it type of wears on you after a while you discover that people who are tend to be more unfavorable downhearted conspiracy minded tend to hang out with people who are likewise unfavorable downhearted and conspiracy minded so if you’re socializing with someone who tends to be anxious then the stress and anxiety can be palpable and it can type of permeate physical problems can lead people to be distressed because they do not know what’s triggering it like I stated previously sometimes if your heart starts to race if you don’t know what’s causing it you can begin thinking I’m having a heart attack or I’m gon na die when people have panic attacks for example they truly think they’re having a cardiovascular disease and
it’s I’ve had them they are very really unpleasant experiences but when people begin having physical problems and it can be you know they have a weird rash that they can’t get to go away or it whatever however when they don’t understand what it is and they can’t manage it they can’t make it disappear they begin considering all the worst-case circumstances and browsing the web and getting on WebMD which typically provides you all the worst-case scenarios um so physical complaints are very important we need to normalize the reality that nobody’s pain-free all the time and you know the fact that you might have a discomfort or an ache or a lump or a bump or you understand a cough most likely you know when we look at probability the possibility of it being something considerable is quite small now do you wish to get it took a look at probably however you understand the possibility that is anything to be stressed over is is relatively small and a sense of powerlessness can activate fear of the unknown and loss of control for somebody who does not feel like they have any agency in their life if they have an external locus of control or if they felt victimized all of their life then they might fear not being in control they may be hanging on and saying okay this is the one area of my life I can control when I matured you know I matured in a very chaotic environment I had no control I was bounced around in the foster system yadda yadda yadda now that I’m an adult you know I can manage these things and I am going to hang on with white knuckles and if I can’t manage whatever then that horrifies me death and loss are other triggers for stress and anxiety and it can be animals or individuals and animals are necessary I do not want to minimize family pets because you understand they are little parts of a lot of our families so ensuring we examine that my daughter’s pet dog for example is it’s getting old she’s aging she’s 14 now I think and you understand she’s in decent health we took her to the vet and the vet stated yeah she’s got a little heart murmur however that’s expected for a 14 year old pet dog and however when she goes out if she does not return when I call her I have this rush of anxiety for a second oh my gosh I hope this wasn’t the day so anxiety around losing individuals and you understand if she when she crosses the bridge she will and and you understand
I’m all right with that I’m I have a more difficult time dealing with my child’s emotional chaos when that happens and due to the fact that she’s grown up with this canine so you understand those are the types of things that we want to talk about with our customers what things are weighing on you that you may not even be thinking of since I know in the back of my mind there’s always that stress over one of our donkeys and her pet tasks and promos can set off anxiety if people hesitate they’re gon na lose their task if they’re always scared that you understand they’re gon na stroll in and get a pink slip or get fired you know we want to help them take a look at how realistic is that are you doing what you require to do in order to attain and keep your job and often it’s not easy to answer I mean the first idea that a lot of us have is well you know if you’re doing the best thing so just do it however there are those bosses out there and I’ve had some truly amazing managers a lot of them and I have actually had two actually horrendous managers and those two employers I might never ever I never ever seemed like I had the ability to do anything best and so going to those jobs there was constantly this anxiety about what I’m what am I going to get in trouble for today so you wish to talk with people about does your job cause stress and anxiety what can you do to moderate that stress and anxiety the very same thing with promos individuals might get anxious about whether they’re going to get promoted security and security you understand when you lose safety and security you can feel actually nervous so if there’s a burglary at your home next door or a shooting down the road or you start enjoying the news you can feel unsecure and extremely hazardous truly rapidly so we wish to assist people figure out how safe and safe are you really and a great deal of it goes back to actually taking a look at truths when people lose their dreams and hopes or fear that they’re going to lose their dreams and hopes they can begin to get nervous you know they have this dream that they’re going to be a medical professional or I simply ended up the discussion on helping high school trainees transition to college and a lot of high school students for instance start college with these wide eyes and intends to save the world and they wish to be doctors and engineers and this and that and they enter it and they recognize that it’s a lot harder than they believed or they understand that you know what I really do not like this but I’ve currently committed to it so what do I do or I wish to assist people but I can’t I can’t cut it doing this you know for me I determined in my second year that I wasn’t going to medical school because I wasn’t going to pass calculus which triggered a great deal of anxiety it was like okay what am I gon na do now you understand what career should I pick so helping individuals figure out do you have dreams that have possibly kind of crashed and burned and you have to discover brand-new ones you know alright that one we’ve got to accept it figure out that it’s not going to be and what can you do now individuals
may likewise have dreams about relationships they enter relationships and they see themselves with this individual forever and then this relationship ends and or begins to get rocky and they’re like but that’s my dream what happens if my that’s got to take place because it’s my dream I don’t know how to operate if that goes away we want to help people have the ability to rewrite their story and after that illness spiders and other phobias type of goes in with death a lot of times when individuals get sick they begin getting nervous that oh my gosh what if this is terminal oh my gosh what if this is you understand incurable if I get bit by a spider it’s gon na kill me and which is unusual you understand there are very couple of spiders that are really that toxic same thing with snakes going over bridges I’ve shown you all that is not one of my irrational worries you know I am just horrified that you understand something’s going to occur and I’m going to get pushed off the side of the bridge which is completely unreasonable but we need to help individuals look at those and determine the thoughts that they’re telling themself about those phobias and handle that stress and anxiety failure is another trigger for stress and anxiety especially in this culture our culture American culture in in big part puts a high premium on success and perfectionism so when people realize that they’re not ideal they may start to get anxious since they feel like if I’m not best then I’m a failure you know those cognitive distortions of all-or-nothing thinking and they start with that negative self-talk you understand you can’t do anything right so those are some of the concerns that you know we typically see in counseling sessions so what do we do you know someone is available in and it like I can’t live in this manner doc anxiety depression and substance conditions as well as a range of physical disorders are often comorbid so this is the first thing we require to realize we need to recognize that we’re extremely seldom dealing with an extremely easy diagnosis you understand when someone comes in we require to determine you understand if they come in and they’re presenting with anxiety all right let’s speak about that and
Comprehending Anxiety: A Patient’s Experience:
In my recent session with Emma (name altered for privacy), a 32-year-old lady, I had the chance to delve into the elaborate layers of stress and anxiety. Emma explained experiencing relentless worry, a racing heart, and invasive ideas. She found it challenging to focus at work and frequently felt a sense of impending doom. These symptoms were disrupting her life, relationships, and general well-being.
Emma’s Treatment Plan:
To attend to Emma’s anxiety, we developed a detailed treatment strategy tailored to her unique needs. Here are some key elements of her plan:
Psychoeducation: Educating Emma about stress and anxiety and its physiological and mental symptoms assisted her gain a deeper understanding of her symptoms. This knowledge empowered her to recognize and confirm her experiences.
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment (CBT): CBT is an evidence-based approach that focuses on identifying and challenging illogical thoughts and beliefs. Emma discovered to reframe negative ideas and develop a more well balanced perspective, slowly reducing anxiety-triggering cognitions.
Relaxation Techniques: Incorporating relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness meditation assisted Emma manage her tension response and promote a sense of calm.
Exposure Treatment: As Emma revealed avoidance habits related to specific triggers, we slowly exposed her to those circumstances in a regulated way. This direct exposure allowed her to challenge her worries and develop durability versus anxiety-provoking stimuli.
Self-Care and Lifestyle Modifications: Emma acknowledged the importance of self-care practices in managing her stress and anxiety. She prioritized regular workout, healthy eating, quality sleep, and taking part in activities she took pleasure in to promote total well-being.
My Journey as a Therapist:
My choice to become a therapist was deeply affected by my own struggles with anxiety. When working with clients facing comparable obstacles, my personal journey has offered me with special insights and empathy. Having experienced stress and anxiety firsthand, I am able to associate with my patients’ worries, concerns, and the effect anxiety can have on different elements of life.
Harvard’s Research on Anxiety:
A seminal research paper titled “Understanding the Complexity of Stress And Anxiety: Insights from a Longitudinal Research Study” by Harvard University offers valuable insights into the intricacy of stress and anxiety conditions. The study followed a mate of people over a span of 10 years and examined different factors adding to the advancement, upkeep, and treatment of stress and anxiety.
The paper highlighted that stress and anxiety conditions emerge from a combination of genetic, ecological, and mental factors. It highlighted the significance of early intervention, evidence-based therapies, and holistic approaches in handling anxiety effectively. The findings even more underscored the significance of a restorative alliance and customized treatment plans in attending to stress and anxiety. Anxiety Therapy Edinburgh
Conclusion:
Stress and anxiety is a deeply personal and multifaceted experience that affects individuals in profound ways. Through restorative interventions like psychoeducation, CBT, relaxation techniques, direct exposure therapy, and self-care practices, individuals like Emma can get control over their stress and anxiety and lead satisfying lives.