You’re constantly worrying

Friends and family accuse you OF always being “stressed out”

You’re having trouble sleeping or concentrating because you can’t turn off your anxious thoughts

While anxiety is a normal part of everyday life, it can sometimes become debilitating. A certain level of anxiety helps to keep us safe. For example, if you’re worried about catching a cold, then you might try to boost your immune system with exercise or vitamins. The problem is when anxiety gets to a level where it starts to interfere with your day-to-day functioning. When this happens, anxiety might keep you from sleeping well, it might make it hard for you to focus, or you might play things over in your mind again and again. Maybe, you even start to avoid certain things, such as going out, socializing, or driving.  

When anxiety gets overwhelming, you might try to ‘numb’ the feeling in some way. For example, you may use alcohol, cannabis, or prescription drugs to stop yourself from feeling anxious. Maybe, you end up over eating or craving ‘comfort’ foods. Anxiety can also morph into other feelings. When we feel anxious, we can also become irritable, frustrated with others, even angry. Over time, we can start to feel worn down, unmotivated, and depressed. 

Anxiety Comes in Many Forms

Anxiety symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. Regardless of the symptoms you’re experiencing, anxiety can have a profoundly negative impact on your life.

Anxiety Symptoms May include:

• feeling restless or on edge

• difficulty concentrating

• feeling tired

• feeling tense (muscle tension)

• difficulty sleeping

• feeling irritable

Common Types of Anxiety

Social Anxiety

Social anxiety occurs when you get nervous about being around other people, especially if you don’t know them. You worry that others are watching or judging you. It can get to the point where you avoid social situations. Maybe, you even feel relieved to stay home. Social anxiety, also called social phobia, can be devastating. It can lead to isolation and disconnection. Relationships can suffer and your self confidence and self worth may take a dive. For some people, social anxiety can be very specific. For example, you might be ok socializing, but dread speaking in public or giving presentations.

Generalized Anxiety

Generalized anxiety is the most common anxiety disorder. In fact, data shows that 5.8 million adults in the United States have generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This type of anxiety means that you often worry about a number of different things. For instance, you may worry about finances, work, your health or family. It’s hard to switch off the worry and you may feel tense, on edge, or restless. Not being able to control your worry can make it hard to focus or sleep. Sometimes, anxiety causes physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle aches, stomach problems, and unexplained pain. You might twitch or tremble, feel tingling on your body, or even feel lightheaded. You might need to go to the bathroom a lot or notice that you sweat more. 

Specific Fears or Phobias

For some people, their anxiety is very specific. They might have an overwhelming and unreasonable fear of objects or situations that pose little real danger. There are many types of phobias and it’s possible to have several. For example, people with phobias may fear certain situations, such as driving in tunnels or over bridges, being in enclosed spaces, or flying. Other phobias may be caused by things in nature, such as a fear of thunderstorms or heights. Some people fear animals or insects, like dogs or spiders. Some phobias may be triggered by blood, injections, or injury. When you have a specific phobia, you experience intense fear when thinking about or being exposed to the source of your fear. Even though you know the fear is exaggerated and unreasonable, you still feel powerless to control it. You try to avoid the situation or object. But, if you’re unsuccessful, you feel agitated, tense, clammy or sweaty. You may find it hard to breathe and start to feel nauseated and/or lightheaded. 

PANIC Disorder

If you experience a sudden attack of intense anxiety and overwhelming fear that lasts for several minutes, you may be having a panic attack. The anxiety will be so intense that you experience physical discomfort.

Panic attack symptoms may include all or some of the following:

• rapid heart rate or pounding heart

• sweating

• trembling or shaking

• feeling like you can’t breath or feeling out of breath

• chest pain or discomfort

• nausea or stomach distress

• feeling dizzy or light headed

• chills or feeling hot

• numbness or tingling

• feeling unreal or being detached from yourself

• thinking you might die

Often panic attacks occur out-of-the-blue with no obvious trigger. You might start to avoid things, such as leaving the house or driving, because you fear having another panic attack. Or, you might avoid places where you had a panic attack. This can lead you to feel discouraged and even ashamed because you can’t carry out your normal routine, like going to school or work. 

Anxiety Treatment

There are several very effective anxiety treatments to help you cope with the symptoms of anxiety. One of the most well researched is a type of psychotherapy called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT teaches you different ways of thinking, behaving, and responding to anxiety and the other feelings that come with it. It helps you to explore and understand your reactions to the things that cause you stress or worry. Then, you can learn the best ways to cope and, over time, manage and reduce your anxiety.

Another treatment is exposure therapy, which helps you confront your fears so as to break the pattern of avoidance. 

A newer approach, called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), helps you to embrace anxious thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them or feeling guilty about them. Then, you learn how to commit to making necessary changes according to what is truly important to you. So, in time, anxiety loses its hold on you.

These and other treatments, such as mindfulness-based approaches and relaxation training, can be used in your unique treatment plan. This plan will target your fears, reduce anxiety symptoms, and help you to regain a sense of control and balance.

For some people, this is highly effective and enough. But, for others, it can also be helpful to explore why you might have been prone to excessive worry in the first place. 

MY APPROACH to Anxiety Therapy

I have over 10 years of experience working with clients with anxiety, phobias, and panic, and trained at one of the country’s leading anxiety clinics: The Anxiety Disorders Center, Institute of Living, Hartford, CT. I am well prepared to help you cope with your anxiety symptoms and find lasting change in your life.

I believe that the first step is symptom relief. Anxiety can be overwhelming, but it can also show up as a chronic, low grade worry that never seems to go away. No matter how anxiety exists within you, my immediate goal is to assess its impact on your life. Then, I will teach you some techniques that can help to reduce anxiety symptoms straight away. This usually includes a combination of relaxation techniques, CBT, and psycho-education. But depending on the type of anxiety and your coping style, I might use mindfulness techniques, exposure therapy, ACT, and/or specific behavioral changes. 

Later, it might be helpful to explore some of the unconscious ways in which you might be holding on to your anxiety. For example, there may be some unresolved emotional pain or underlying core beliefs that no longer serve you well. For example, you may have been led to believe that you must always strive to do your best. Over time, this belief might have developed into perfectionist tendencies. The goal is to explore and amend these patterns so that you can make lasting change.

Start Anxiety Treatment

You don’t have to live with constant worry, poor sleep, feeling tense, tired, or panicky. Therapy can help you regain a sense of control. It can help you reconnect with life. 

To begin therapy, follow these steps:

1. Contact me to set up a free 15 minute phone consultation

2. Meet with me for an initial therapy session online using my secure video platform or in person at my Santa Rosa office

3. Begin anxiety treatment and regain control over your anxious thoughts so you can live life to the fullest

Other Services offered by Colin Baptie, PSY.D.:

Anxiety treatment isn’t the only service offered in my therapy practice. Other therapy services include treatment for depression, ADHD, grief counseling, LGTBQ support and counseling, couples counseling and marriage therapy. I offer online therapy for people living in the state of California. Contact me to learn more about the many ways I can help you.