Is Anxiety Holding You Back From Seizing Opportunities For Growth?

Does your life seem consumed by fear and an inability to take risks? Do you feel too stressed out to relax and take life one day at a time? Maybe everything seems fine on the outside, but on the inside, you’re struggling with low self-esteem and deprecating self-talk. Perhaps you’re dealing with social anxiety, and you’ve come to feel like you’re not good enough for anyone. You may find yourself withdrawing from others and retreating into yourself, sliding deeper and deeper into loneliness and isolation.

Oftentimes, the signs of anxiety show up as physical symptoms like headaches, an upset stomach, or shortness of breath. But sometimes anxiety is more subtle. You may feel a general sense of unease about the future—what your next career move will be, how your relationships will turn out, or whether your loved ones will be okay. Perhaps you find yourself constantly dreading what’s around the corner, as if you’re always on the brink of emotional implosion.

Deep down, you may tell yourself: If I could just figure out a way to erase my anxiety completely, I would be fine. True recovery, however, involves working with your anxiety rather than against it. Instead of suppressing your fears altogether, healing means modifying and soothing them so that you can connect to your anxiety in a way that is healthy. Here at the Relationship Enrichment Center, we want to help you balance your anxiety more effectively and disarm its all-consuming hold on your life.

Anxiety Is The Norm In Many Families And In The Culture At Large

Everyone experiences anxiety. For many people, anxiety was so normal in their home growing up that they don’t even recognize it when they feel it now. For instance, if someone grew up with an overly anxious parent, they may unconsciously seek relationships that mirror this anxious attachment. Their relationships may be fraught with tension and a constant fear of being let down or letting the other person down—but to them, such a dynamic is simply normal. It’s all they’ve ever known.

What’s more, our world itself is in a state of anxiety. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread social unrest, many of us are scared and uncertain about the future. And with the advent of the internet, there are simply more complex issues to be worried about. Seeing happy, wealthy, and glamorous people all over social media often fills us with jealousy and makes us feel like we’ll never be good enough. Comparing our insides to someone else’s outsides usually causes us to have a negative view of ourselves.

In the face of all these pressures, it’s tempting to try and keep up appearances and avoid sharing our struggles. Unfortunately, this thinking only adds to the problem. We are hardwired for connection and human interaction. When we avoid seeking help, it only adds to our loneliness and feelings of “craziness.”

As anxiety counselors, we continually hear people say: “I thought I was the only one who felt this way.” If this is how you feel, we are here to tell you that you are not alone. Anxiety is a normal response to life’s stressors. With the right treatment and support, you can learn to keep your anxiety in check and prevent it from ruling your life.

Counseling Can Help You Soothe Your Anxiety And Achieve Greater Emotional Balance

When you close your eyes, you have to rely on your other senses to stay aware of what’s happening. Overcoming anxiety is similar. Instead of relying on fear to make your decisions in life, you must train your brain to depend on other instincts, too. Our goal is not to eradicate anxiety completely—after all, a little anxiety can help you be more prepared for stressful situations—but to help you develop a healthier relationship with it.

In sessions with us, you will have a safe space to unpack your anxiety and learn new skills for managing symptoms. After ruling out any medical or physical causes, we will explore the core issues and psychological reasons for your struggles. We will consider any potential trauma and early childhood relationships so that we can address your anxiety at its source.

That’s not to say we’ll only focus on the past. Once we have identified the root of your distress, we will incorporate calming techniques into your treatment plan to help you stay grounded if you feel an anxiety attack or panic attack coming on. These strategies may include yoga, mindfulness, or deep-breathing exercises. In our treatment model, we also recommend and provide group therapy, support groups and recovery programs. We aim to assertively treat the whole person, be as comprehensive as possible, and tailor the healing process directly to your needs.

Most importantly, we want you to make friends with your anxiety—to consider it as something that needs modification rather than elimination. Anxiety is like an alarm. Our goal is not to dismantle that alarm—since it can keep you alert and prepared for stressful situations—but to prevent it from keeping you in overdrive. The strategies you learn here aim to soften and soothe your anxiety so that it is balanced with other needs and emotions in your life.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed when you start therapy. Undoing the hold that anxiety has over your life is a bit like trying to write or draw with your non-dominant hand. At first it feels awkward and unnatural, but with time, the practice can become a viable resource and helpful tool. We are confident that the skills and strategies you learn here will become second nature, too, allowing you to put anxiety in its rightful place and experience peace of mind.

If you are in need of support with perinatal anxiety, Dr. Therese Newton is specially trained to treat perinatal mood and anxiety disorders while providing compassionate support to women throughout their perinatal journey. She also enjoys working with couples during their family planning and fertility journey.

You may have some questions about anxiety counseling…

Can’t you just prescribe medication?

We are not physicians, and are unable to provide medication. We provide a more well-rounded, comprehensive approach that may include recommending medication, but we will always begin by getting to know you and assess your struggles. While medication seeks to treat discomfort, we aim to address the source of your discomfort. Getting to the root of your struggles allows for real, lasting change instead of just temporary alleviation. That said, if you eventually decide that you would like to try medication, we would be happy to connect you to a psychiatrist or provider. Medication is one of many options in the toolbox of anxiety therapy.

I’ve tried therapy before and it didn’t work.

Like the old proverb says: When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Therapy may not have worked for you in the past, but you are a different person in a different place now. What’s more, this time the source of support is different. Our approach to the healing process is comprehensive, holistic, and seeks to uncover the root of your anxiety rather than merely treating the symptoms.

I’m worried that talking about anxiety will make it worse.

Ignoring your pain prevents you from being able to confront your anxiety and figure out where it’s coming from. As counselors, we are trained and experienced in helping clients address the roots of their stress without causing more anxiety. We strive to be as gentle and compassionate as possible and we’ll only do what you feel comfortable with. What’s more, the ultimate goal is not merely talking about your experiences, but giving you skills to regulate anxiety on your own.

Learn To Connect With Your Anxiety In A Healthy Way

No matter how hopeless you may feel right now, anxiety is highly treatable and there are numerous avenues for healing. We want to help you find what’s right for you and what brings deep, lasting change. To get started, you can click the “start today” button below or call our intake coordinator at 704-804-0810.

We offer both in-person and online anxiety counseling. Our office is very spacious and allows us to social distance easily.

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