Anxiety

Nearly everyone experiences a certain degree of anxiety at some point in their lives. As the most common form of mental disorder, anxiety disorders affect ⅕ of adults and ¼ of teens (ADAA, 2019).

Facts:

• About 40 million people living in the United States experience anxiety disorder every year.
• Anxiety disorders show in 8 percent of children and teens before the turn 21.
• Only about one-third of those who experience anxiety disorder seek treatment.
• Women are twice as likely to experience anxiety than men.

 Anxiety can reduce one’s enjoyment and effectiveness in work, school, relationships, and other areas of life.  In addition to increased fear or anxiousness, a person might experience insomnia, hyperventilation, headaches, back and neck pain, avoidance, low self-esteem, sweating, or anger and irritability.  There are several types of anxiety disorders, all of which have overlapping symptoms.

Fortunately, anxiety disorders respond very well to psychotherapy.  Our Happy Apple® practitioners develop treatment plans concordant with the type of anxiety you are experiencing.  Interventions are supportive, interactive, and collaborative.  You will find ways to bring immediate relief to acute symptoms as well as tools for reducing your day-to-day level of anxiety.

Symptoms

Anxiety can reduce one’s enjoyment and effectiveness in work, school, relationships, and other areas of life.  In addition to increased fear or anxiousness, a person might experience insomnia, hyperventilation, headaches, back and neck pain, avoidance, low self-esteem, sweating, or anger and irritability.  There are several types of anxiety disorders, all of which have overlapping symptoms.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Nearly 9 percent of those affected with anxiety have a specific phobia. This can range from a fear of snakes to a fear of flying, and nearly anything in between. Often originating in childhood, phobias are things or situations that trigger an irrational fear in people.

About 7 percent of American adults struggle with social anxiety disorder. In this instance, social situations cause a person to feel a range of emotions, from discomfort to embarrassment to rejection. Social anxiety can be triggered at parties, in new situations, or during public events. More than a third of people who experience social anxiety live with symptoms for a decade or more before seeking help.

Both obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can cause significant distress and disruption to a person’s life. OCD is characterized by intrusive, obsessive thoughts that cause anxiety and lead them to repeatedly seek reassurance or engage in a ritual to assuage anxiety.  PTSD develops for some individuals following a traumatizing event that leads to lingering disturbing thoughts, feelings, flashbacks, nightmares, and similar experiences that cause them to relive the trauma.

If daily activities—such as housework, health, or job responsibilities—cause persistent worry, angst, or panic symptoms, a person might be experiencing generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).  This disorder includes symptoms such as fatigue, muscle tension, or issues sleeping and concentrating.  Individuals with GAD often complain of feeling “tightly wound” and unable to  relax and fully appreciate enjoyable activities.

Treatment

Together with your therapist, you will identify any thought, behavioral, or relational patterns that might contribute to unwanted symptoms and will work to find adaptive ways of engaging with your world and others.  Lifestyle factors, chronic health conditions, genetics, and personal history will be explored for any role they might play in your anxiety.  Happy Apple® anxiety therapists work in conjunction with other health care practitioners, when warranted.     

Outcomes

Having gained insight into the contributors to your anxiety, you’ll be better equipped to find ways to change or cope with such factors.  Most clients feel better as soon as they begin therapy, realizing they’re not simply stuck with an indefinite anxiety struggle.  Over time, as clients develop ways to minimize and cope with symptoms, they feel emboldened to more fully engage with their world and others.  Ultimately, clients are better able to pursue the best versions of themselves, no longer limited by the anxiety symptoms that once hindered them.