COUNSELLING FOR ANXIETY
Sometimes, the experience of anxiety is difficult to recognize, especially when you’ve been coping with it for a long time. Anxiety might feel like a big part of who you are or how you live your life. All of us experience anxiety to some degree, and this heightened state of arousal can help prepare us for big life events, notify us of danger, and even help motivate us. However, when anxiety levels become too high, and remain high, it can feel overwhelming. Some common experiences of anxiety include:
Difficulty slowing down and relaxing
Insomnia or trouble falling asleep/staying asleep
Perfectionism or holding yourself to very high standards
Racing thoughts or replaying conversations/scenarios in your mind
Muscular tension or shallow breathing
Nausea or a tightness in the chest
A constant fear of something going wrong
An inability to make decisions or move forward in your life
Difficulty feeling present and engaged in your life
Perhaps some of these experiences resonate with you: The feeling of anxiety can show up in various areas of your life such as in relationship issues, including a fear of being left or difficulty establishing closeness or connection, or a fear of criticism from others. Anxiety might also appear in your school or career, and may include the belief that you have to do everything perfectly. Anxiety may feel like it’s permeating every area of your life, or come up only in certain situations. It may also alternate with periods of feeling depressed, depleted, or numb.
The root causes of anxiety are varied and may include trauma, family experiences, high levels of ongoing stress, or emotions that have been pushed down and/or experiences that haven’t been worked through.
In counselling we will explore the situations that trigger anxiety in your life as well as the root causes of your anxiety. Together we will discover tools to help you to feel more grounded and present in your life, more secure in yourself, and more relaxed in your mind and body.