Anxiety disorders can cause people to try to avoid situations that trigger or worsen their symptoms.
Job performance, school, work and personal relationships can be affected in different degrees as a result.
Whereas Healthy Anxiety is a normal response to stressful life events such us moving out, changing jobs or having financial troubles, Dysfunctional Anxiety is a default reaction characterised by feelings of tension, excessive worry, intrusive thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure, palpitations and difficulty breathing.
Increase Awareness
People who want to overcome anxiety are more ofterln thank not unaware of their thoughts and emotions, which makes them far more likely to have panic attacks than those who can recognise them. Therefore, the first step to lower anxiety is to incre awareness in order to be able to Identify the Symptoms and Patterns that tend to reinforce it.
One of the most challenging factors for those who want to get rid of anxiety, is not being able to tell how anxiety feels like, so here's a list of some of symptoms you may want to pay attention to:
1. Excessive worrying
2. Feeling agitated
3. Restlessness
4. Fatigue
5. Difficulty concentrating
6. Irritability
7. Tense Muscles
8. Trouble falling or staying asleep
9. Panic Attacks (Severe cases of anxiety)
10. Avoiding social situations (Social Anxiety)
11. Fears
How anxiety affects you? A significant number of people suffering with anxiety tend to believe that it 'happens' suddenly, and therefore, fail to identify the early cues which led to the development of symptoms in the first place.
Anxiety can affect your perception of reality, your ability to think rationally, to assess different alternatives and to make informed decisions.
More often that not, people end up making poor decisions which sometimes might affect not only themselves but those around them.
Identify physical sensations
Therefore, one of the first stages of an anxiety therapy treatment, consisting in part, of learning to get to know yourself better. You need to learn how to identify differences in physical sensations (such as body temperature and degrees of tension being experienced among others) as well as your thoughts, before you learn how to deal with them.
Most people have have been able to increase awareness by taking part in anxiety groups as an addition to one-to-one sessions. In some cases we recommend yoga and meditation to address the physical aspects of anxiety.
What is high functioning Anxiety?
To overcome anxiety is important to able to identify the signs our body is constantly manifesting. Because of stress, commitments, or many other reasons, most people tend to bottle up everything they think and feel, and simply go on with their life the best they can.
Being able to perform well at work, making progress on normal daily tasks without mayor disturbances, regardless of the symptoms, is called High Functioning Anxiety.
However, in most cases, this ‘strategy’ doesn't last long, and the symptoms continue to worsen, until we end up having a panic attack, in hospital, where we're most likely to be prescribed psychiatric medications to keep us going. Unfortunately, these meds do not cure anxiety disorders, but can relief the symptoms.
The most commonly used medications are SSRI's /anti-anxiety medications (generally prescribed only for a short period of time, although most people continue to take them for much longer than what they should) and antidepressants. Beta-blockers, used for heart conditions, are sometimes used to control physical symptoms of anxiety.
A Cognitive behavioural therapist commonly known as Anxiety Therapist, can help you address your anxiety on a one-to-one basis treatment, consisting of 12 to 16 sessions approximately, depending on the specifications and comorbidities of the case.
In most cases is also recommended to take to yoga classes to address the more physical aspects of anxiety. Some people have also benefited from taking part in anxiety groups, as an addition to CBT.
How to test for anxiety
If you want find out whether you suffer form anxiety or up to what extent your anxiety has developed you can take the anxiety test, and we will get back to you with the results from your input.
Anxiety therapy - MYNDPOWER
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment for anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders and severe mental illness. Numerous research studies suggest that Cognitive behavioural Therapy leads to significant improvement in functioning and quality of life.
In many studies, CBT has been proven to be as effective as, or even more effective than, other forms of psychological therapies or psychiatric medications and other forms of alternative therapies such as CBD oil or hypnosis.
The success of CBT is also believed to be related to its natural and sustainable approach without side effects or dependencies.
CBT is an approach for which there is ample scientific evidence that the methods that have been developed, actually produce positive change. In this manner, CBT differs from many other forms of counselling or psychological treatment.
Other Forms of therapies used by MYNDPOWER include Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT). This model suggests that an individual's beliefs strongly affect their emotional functioning and behaviours. Ellis, the founder of the model, called these irrational beliefs, because they tend to make people feel depressed, anxious, and angry and led to self-defeating behaviours.
REBT is a humanistic approach and it focuses on our ability to create our own positive and negative emotions. According to Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy REBT, our belief system impacts whether we achieve success and self-actualisation in our lives. The main goal of Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy is to change those irrational thinking patterns, behaviours and emotional responses, using reasonable and rational thinking, instead.
REBT can be used to treat people affected by disorders such as anxiety and stress. An REBT therapist helps clients by disputing or challenging irrational beliefs, reframing (situations are viewed from a more realistic and accurate perspective), problem solving, role-playing, modelling and humour. The client might also need to complete certain exercises at home in order to overcome anxiety. The success rate of this model has also proven to be more effective than other forms of Anxiety counselling.
If you want to learn more about us and our approach, vision and values, as well as the best treatments for your case, please feel free to Book an a free Initial consultation
