About Anxiety
Maybe you’ve had the experience of lying awake at night, worrying about a million things, analyzing what could go wrong in various aspects of your life, somehow trying to think it all through. You keep trying to rationalize your worries, only to notice this somehow digs you in deeper. Maybe you’ve found yourself overwhelmed and anxious in social situations, wondering if people are looking at you or judging you, racing to figure out the “right” thing to say. Maybe you’ve been sitting somewhere, doing not much of anything at all, and suddenly had a panic attack, seemingly out of nowhere. Your heart races, your chest tightens, and you feel nauseous, or like you’re about to completely lose it. Maybe you notice yourself avoiding places and activities that you enjoy, because of a worry that they could spike your anxiety.
You might also experience physical symptoms of anxiety, like feeling out of breath, like you’re overheating, feeling your heart race, or getting frequent headaches.
All of these are the kinds of experiences and symptoms that lead people to seek out therapy with my practice. If you’ve had experiences like these, you are not alone.
About 40 million adults in the US, or almost 20% of the population, experience an anxiety disorder in any given year. Anxiety disorders are also the most common mental health condition in children, with some estimates suggesting they affect 1 in 12 children and 1 in 4 adolescents.
Anxiety is a common human experience, and it is an important emotion. Without anxiety, it would be difficult for us to plan ahead or detect danger. Having absolutely 0 anxiety would actually be a big problem.
But this kind of standard, everyday anxiety is usually not why people seek out therapy.
The kind of more intense anxiety that gets in the way of living and leads people to seek therapy is sometimes called “clinical” anxiety, or even an anxiety “disorder.”
Whatever language is used to describe the experience of living with intense anxiety,
The truth is that anxiety is very common, and it is very treatable.
How I Treat Anxiety
learn more about my approach to treating anxiety here
I use primarily Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to treat anxiety symptoms. CBT is considered the gold-standard treatment for anxiety for both children and adults. It has many decades of research supporting its efficacy. Something important about CBT is that it is uniquely adapted to each kind of anxiety (for example, panic disorders vs. generalized anxiety), AND it is uniquely adapted to each individual client. This is not a one-size-fits-all situation.
A unique aspect of my practice is that I combine CBT with concrete skills to reduce anxious mental rumination.
This is influenced by a metacognitive therapy approach, as well as by Dr. Michael Greenberg’s rumination-focused approach to treating anxiety disorders. Clients learn, step-by-step, that they have more control over their anxious thinking than they may realize, and that they are not at the mercy of their anxious thoughts. By controlling this kind of thinking, clients increase their sense of agency and then practice re-engaging in avoided behaviors and situations. This results in a learning process in which clients gain mastery over their anxiety. While they still experience some typical anxiety, they are generally able to leave behind the constant worry that causes distress and gets in the way of living.