Anxiety Counseling in Calgary

Anxiety Counseling in Calgary

Anxiety is a normal and natural experience that happens from time to time. However, for some, it can interfere with daily life. It can even impact physical health conditions. Anxiety shows up in many ways, from unrelenting worries to phobias, panic attacks, and obsessive thoughts. These experiences can often lead those suffering from anxiety to avoid certain situations, isolate themselves, and become angry and irritable. When you live with anxiety, it can feel like the anxiety is hijacking your entire life and robbing you of joy, meaning, and connection. We are here to help you take your life back.

Anxiety Symptoms

There is no singular cause of anxiety. A combination of biological, psychological, and social factors contributes to our mental health. Certain factors can increase the risk of anxiety or an anxiety disorder, including certain personality traits, medical conditions, and a history of trauma. No matter the cause, the first step in treating anxiety is determining if you are struggling with anxiety symptoms:

• Restlessness, nervousness, feeling wound up and on edge
• Difficulty concentrating or focusing
• Irritability and mood swings
• Fatigue
• Physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, stomachache, unexplained pains, vomiting
• Difficulty sleeping
• Pounding or racing heart, sweating, trembling, chest pain, rapid breathing
• Feelings of impending doom or expecting the worst
• Feeling out of control
• Difficulty making eye contact
• Self-medication with substances
• Avoidant behaviors, including distractions such as social media scrolling, excessive shopping, gambling, etc.

Types of Anxiety

Understanding the different types of anxiety can help determine the best course of action for overcoming your anxiety. Each anxiety disorder has its own unique challenges and anxiety symptoms. Here are some of the most common types of anxiety:

• Generalized Anxiety: Extreme worry and tension that is consistent and disproportionate to circumstances.
• Panic Disorder: Intense, sudden panic attacks alongside worry about the next panic attack occurring.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Recurrent intrusive and irrational obsessions that create intense anxiety along with compulsive behaviors that are aimed at reducing or eliminating the anxiety.
• Social Anxiety: Overwhelming worry and self-consciousness in social situations.
• Phobias: Intense fear of certain situations or objects.
• Separation Anxiety: Intense fear of separation from parents or caregivers (occurs in children)
• Perinatal Anxiety: Anxiety experienced during pregnancy or after giving birth (can become disordered)
• Health Anxiety: Excessive worry about health that often involves frequent body checking, researching and seeking the reassurance of doctors (but can also involve avoiding doctors)

There are also other conditions that share features with anxiety disorders, such as depression, PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), eating disorders, body dysmorphia, body-focused repetitive behaviors (hair pulling, skin picking, etc.), ADHD, and self-harm.

How Can Counselling Help with Anxiety?

Because each person’s life is characterized by a unique combination of biological, psychological, and social factors, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to treating anxiety. While some people benefit from lifestyle changes, others may benefit from learning strategies to better manage anxiety. Others require an approach that requires exposing oneself to anxiety-provoking situations in a systematic way, such as Exposure Therapy or Response Prevention Therapy. Cognitive behavior therapy or CBT is also a common modality for anxiety. Some may benefit from Trauma Therapy to address factors underlying their anxiety, and others from medication. The best approach to dealing with your anxiety can be explored with a licensed therapist to determine a unique treatment method that will work for you! Anxiety is a highly treatable condition, and counseling can help with anxiety.

Calgary Mental Health Services for Anxiety

In addition to helping, you understand the type of anxiety you are struggling with, therapy can help you uncover the underlying factors contributing to your anxiety and address them in an effective way. Individual counselling can help you overcome anxiety and feel like yourself again! Contact Dookies’ Psychological Services to start your journey to take back your life from Anxiety. 

Contact us today for more information.

Contact Information: Dookies Psychological Services: Phone: 403-604-9010