a prevalent psychological health concern, affects countless people worldwide. Do You Go To A Therapist For Anxiety … As a Licensed Scientific Social Worker (LCSW), I have witnessed the impact of stress and anxiety on countless lives. In this post, I will share an in-depth exploration of anxiety through the lens of a current therapy session with a patient, highlighting symptoms, treatment strategies, and my personal journey as a therapist with my own experiences of stress and anxiety Additionally, we will talk about a research paper by Harvard University that sheds light on the multifaceted nature of stress and anxiety.|Stress and anxiety, a common mental health concern, impacts millions of people worldwide. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), I have witnessed the effect of stress and anxiety on numerous lives.}
presentation on strengths-based biopsychosocial methods to dealing with anxiety and while those are fantastic you understand I believed possibly we should take a look at you know what’s a few of the present research study so I went into PubMed which is I don’t understand it’s play ground for me it’s where you find a great deal of the journal articles and you can arrange and I arranged by articles that were done and meta-analyses that were done within the past 5 years so that provides us a concept about existing research I imply there’s a great deal of stuff that is still the same like a few of the medications that were known to work 10 years back are still known to be you know good first-line treatments however there are likewise some beginners that we’ll speak about and there are also some modifications that we’re going to talk about so we’re going to check out some typical causes for stress and anxiety symptoms in order to treat it we really need to and of course this does play into the biopsychosocial aspect we actually need to understand kind of what triggers it since anxiety that’s caused by for instance somebody having a racing heart might be different than anxiety that’s triggered for someone who has abandonment issues so we’re gon na treat the two things in a different way so we wish to take a look at some of the common causes we’re gon na look at some common triggers for anxiety you understand what are some of these typical themes that we see in practice and I will ask you to share some of the themes that you see that underlie a lot or underline of your customers stress and anxiety and identify current best practices for stress and anxiety management including counseling interventions medications physical interventions and supportive treatments so we care due to the fact that anxiety.
can be disabling and a great deal of our customers have stress and anxiety a great deal of our clients have anxiety comorbid with depression and they’re looking at us going how can I feel distressed 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 wish to sleep well a lot of times people who are have both issues really want to sleep however they can’t so I wish to help clients understand that also sometimes stress and anxiety when individuals are anxious for long enough the body begins kind of hanging on to the cortisol the body really recognizes at a particular point this is a losing fight I’m not going to put energy into this any longer so it starts with drawing some of its excitatory neurotransmitter so to speak and people will start to feel depressed basically the brain has currently said this is hopeless this is you’re you’re helpless to change the scenario so then people begin feeling helpless and powerless which is sort of the meaning if you will of depression low-grade chronic tension and stress and anxiety emerged energy and people’s ability to concentrate so if we’re going to help them become their uber selves we need to help them find out how to address anxiety not just generalized frustrating devastating anxiety however also panic social stress and anxiety and those minor stress and anxiety triggers that come along that may not meet the threshold for a medical diagnosis anxiety is a major trigger for addiction relapse if you have a client who is self
medicated before or had a dependency for some reason anxiety is a significant trigger increased physical discomfort when anxiety goes up people tend to tense their muscles when they tense their muscles they tend to feel more pain I suggest think about when you’re stressed you tend to have more discomfort like in your neck in your back and things that already harmed might hurt more why due to the fact that serotonin which is one of our major anti-anxiety neurotransmitters is also one of our significant discomfort modulators so when serotonin levels are too low since stress and anxiety is high then our discomfort perception is going to be more intense and people can have sleep problems if you’re stressed your body believes there’s a hazard you’re not going to have the ability to enter that deep restful sleep you may have you may sleep you might sleep a lot but it’s probably not quality sleep which implies your neurotransmitters might get out of whack your hormones make it out of whack and your body is going to begin viewing your itself in a persistent state of stress when we’re exhausted the body understands that we might be the weakest link in the herd so it continues to produce cortisol to keep keep you on alert a little bit so you may once again you might be resting type of like when you have a new baby in your home those first number of months that my children were house from the healthcare facility I slept however I didn’t sleep well I indicate the tiniest little sound and I was awake and I was browsing and you understand I felt it I felt exhausted and a lot of brand-new parents do so triggers for stress and anxiety desertion and rejection and we’re going to discuss ways we might wish to deal with these things but a few of the underlying styles that I have actually seen in a great deal of customers and when I do the research study 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 verified oftentimes they’re searching for somebody else to tell them you’re adorable you’re fine so that can cause stress and anxiety about not having people to tell them you’re all right which makes their relationships rare and can make them inefficient cognitive distortions and unreasonable thoughts may lead people to think that if I’m not ideal for instance I am not adorable so we’re going to look at some illogical thoughts and cognitive distortions unhealthy social assistances and relationships when you remain in a relationship it takes 2 to tango and even if your client is fairly psychologically and physically healthy if they are in a dysfunctional relationship they can fear desertion and rejection if that other person 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 set off abandonment anxiety and ineffective social skills can cause relationship turmoil and social exile if our clients are in relationships even if they’re not totally dysfunctional if our clients are unable to request for what they require and set appropriate borders and manage conflict efficiently since conflict takes place in every relationship then they might begin to argue more which may result in fearing might result in relationships ending in the past and them going well every relationship I get into ends which indicates I should not be lovable so they begin fearing desertion and rejection so these are 4 locations 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 everything then it’s all going to be a catastrophe unfavorable others when customers hang out or when individuals socialize with unfavorable people it type of endures you after a while you discover that individuals who are tend to be more negative cynical conspiracy minded tend to socialize with individuals who are likewise unfavorable downhearted and conspiracy minded so if you’re hanging out with someone who tends to be nervous then the stress and anxiety can be palpable and it can kind of permeate physical complaints can lead people to be nervous since they don’t know what’s triggering it like I said earlier sometimes if your heart begins to race if you do not know what’s causing it you can begin thinking I’m having a cardiovascular disease or I’m gon na pass away when people have panic attacks for example they really believe they’re having a heart attack and
it’s I’ve had them they are really very unpleasant experiences however when individuals begin having physical problems and it can be you understand they have an unusual rash that they can’t get to go away or it whatever however when they do not know what it is and they can’t control it they can’t make it disappear they begin thinking of all the worst-case scenarios and browsing the web and getting on WebMD which typically gives you all the worst-case circumstances um so physical problems are necessary we need to normalize the fact that no one’s pain-free all the time and you know the truth that you may have a pain or a pains or a swelling or a bump or you know a cough probably you know when we look at possibility the probability of it being something considerable is quite small now do you wish to get it checked out probably but you understand the possibility that is anything to be stressed over is is reasonably little and a sense of powerlessness can activate worry of the unknown and loss of control for somebody who does not seem like they have any company in their life if they have an external locus of control or if they felt taken advantage of all of their life then they may fear not remaining in control they may be holding on and stating alright this is the one area of my life I can manage when I matured you understand 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 understand I can manage these things and I am going to hold on with white knuckles and if I can’t manage everything then that terrifies me death and loss are other triggers for anxiety and it can be individuals or family pets and pets are essential I do not want to decrease animals since you understand they are little parts of a great deal of our families so making sure we check that my daughter’s pet for instance is it’s getting old she’s aging she’s 14 now I believe and you know she’s in decent health we took her to the vet and the veterinarian stated yeah she’s got a little heart murmur but that’s expected for a 14 years of age pet and however when she goes out if she does not come back when I call her I have this rush of stress and anxiety for a second oh my gosh I hope this wasn’t the day so stress and anxiety around losing people and you know if she when she crosses the bridge she will and and you know
I’m fine with that I’m I have a harder time dealing with my daughter’s psychological turmoil when that happens and since she’s matured with this pet dog so you understand those are the kinds of things that we wish to discuss with our customers what things are weighing on you that you might not even be thinking about due to the fact that I understand in the back of my mind there’s constantly that stress over among our donkeys and her pet jobs and promos can trigger stress and anxiety if individuals hesitate they’re gon na lose their job if they’re always afraid that you understand they’re gon na walk in and get or get a pink slip fired you understand we wish to help them look at how practical is that are you doing what you need to do in order to achieve and keep your job and in some cases it’s difficult to answer I indicate the first thought that a lot of us have is well you understand if you’re doing the best thing so simply do it but there are those managers out there and I have actually had some actually amazing bosses a great deal of them and I have actually had two really horrendous bosses and those two employers I might never I never felt like I had the ability to do anything ideal therefore going to those tasks there was always this stress and anxiety about what I’m what am I going to get in trouble for today so you want to talk with individuals about does your job cause stress and anxiety what can you do to moderate that stress and anxiety the exact same thing with promotions people might get distressed about whether they’re going to get promoted security and security you know when you lose security and security you can feel truly distressed so if there’s a break-in at the house next door or a shooting down the road or you begin viewing the news you can feel unsecure and really risky actually quickly so we want to help individuals figure out how safe and safe and secure are you really and a lot of it returns to truly looking at realities when people lose their dreams and hopes or fear that they’re going to lose their dreams and hopes they can begin to get anxious you understand they have this dream that they’re going to be a medical professional or I just ended up the discussion on helping high school students transition to college and a lot of high school students for example start college with these broad eyes and wants to save the world and they wish to be medical professionals and engineers and this and that and they get into it and they realize that it’s a lot more difficult than they thought or they understand that you understand what I truly don’t like this but I’ve already devoted to it so what do I do or I wish to help people however I can’t I can’t cut it doing this you know for me I found out in my second year that I wasn’t going to medical school due to the fact that I wasn’t going to pass calculus which caused a great deal of anxiety it resembled fine what am I gon na do now you understand what profession ought to I select so helping people figure out do you have dreams that have maybe sort of crashed and burned and you have to discover new ones you understand all right that one we’ve got to accept it figure out that it’s not going to be and what can you do now people
might also have dreams about relationships they get into relationships and they see themselves with this individual permanently and then this relationship ends and or begins to get rocky and they’re like however that’s my dream what takes place if my that’s got to take place because it’s my dream I do not know how to operate if that goes away we want to assist individuals have the ability to reword their narrative and then sickness spiders and other fears kind of goes in with death a lot of times when people get sick they start getting anxious 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 eliminate me and which is uncommon you know there are extremely few spiders that are actually that poisonous same thing with snakes going over bridges I’ve shared with you all that is not one of my irrational worries you know I am just frightened that you understand something’s going to take place and I’m going to get pushed off the side of the bridge which is completely irrational but we require to help people look at those and recognize the thoughts that they’re telling themself about those fears and deal with that stress and anxiety failure is another trigger for anxiety specifically in this culture our culture American culture in in big part puts a high premium on success and perfectionism so when individuals understand that they’re not best they may start to get nervous since they feel like if I’m not perfect then I’m a failure you know those cognitive distortions of all-or-nothing thinking and they start with that unfavorable self-talk you know you can’t do anything right so those are a few of the problems that you understand we often 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 stress and anxiety depression and compound disorders as well as a range of physical disorders are often comorbid so this is the first thing we need to understand we require to recognize that we’re really rarely handling an extremely easy diagnosis you know when someone is available in we need to figure out you know if they can be found in and they’re presenting with anxiety all right let’s speak about that and
Understanding Anxiety: A Patient’s Experience:
In my recent session with Emma (name changed for privacy), a 32-year-old female, I had the chance to delve into the intricate layers of stress and anxiety. These symptoms were interfering with her daily life, relationships, and total wellness.
Emma’s Treatment Plan:
To resolve Emma’s anxiety, we established a comprehensive treatment plan customized to her special requirements. Here are some crucial elements of her plan:
Psychoeducation: Educating Emma about anxiety and its mental and physiological symptoms helped her gain a much deeper understanding of her signs. This understanding empowered her to recognize and confirm her experiences.
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment (CBT): CBT is an evidence-based approach that focuses on recognizing and challenging unreasonable ideas and beliefs. Emma found out to reframe negative thoughts and establish a more well balanced viewpoint, slowly decreasing anxiety-triggering cognitions.
Relaxation Methods: Integrating relaxation techniques such as deep breathing workouts, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness meditation helped Emma control her tension action and promote a sense of calm.
Direct exposure Treatment: As Emma expressed avoidance behaviors connected to certain triggers, we slowly exposed her to those scenarios in a regulated way. This exposure enabled her to challenge her worries and establish resilience versus anxiety-provoking stimuli.
Self-Care and Way Of Life Adjustments: Emma acknowledged the significance of self-care practices in handling her anxiety. She prioritized regular exercise, healthy consuming, quality sleep, and participating in activities she delighted in to promote overall well-being.
My Journey as a Therapist:
My decision to end up being a therapist was deeply affected by my own struggles with stress and anxiety. My personal journey has actually supplied me with unique insights and empathy when working with customers facing comparable obstacles. Having actually experienced anxiety firsthand, I am able to relate to my clients’ fears, concerns, and the impact anxiety can have on numerous elements of life.
Harvard’s Research on Stress and anxiety:
A critical research paper titled “Comprehending the Intricacy of Anxiety: Insights from a Longitudinal Research Study” by Harvard University provides important insights into the complexity of anxiety conditions. The study followed a mate of people over a span of ten years and analyzed various aspects contributing to the development, upkeep, and treatment of stress and anxiety.
The paper highlighted that anxiety conditions arise from a mix of hereditary, environmental, and mental factors. It highlighted the value of early intervention, evidence-based therapies, and holistic techniques in managing stress and anxiety successfully. The findings further underscored the significance of a healing alliance and individualized treatment plans in resolving stress and anxiety. Do You Go To A Therapist For Anxiety
Conclusion:
Stress and anxiety is a deeply personal and diverse experience that impacts individuals in profound ways. Through therapeutic interventions like psychoeducation, CBT, relaxation methods, direct exposure therapy, and self-care practices, people like Emma can gain control over their stress and anxiety and lead fulfilling lives. As a therapist, my personal journey with stress and anxiety allows me to offer reliable and compassionate care to my customers. The research study performed by Harvard University sheds light on the complex nature of stress and anxiety, enhancing the value of tailored treatments and early intervention in promoting psychological wellness. Together, we can navigate the labyrinth of anxiety and find the path to a more tranquil and empowered presence.