Counselling for Anxiety
Find relief from anxiety
We will all experience anxiety at some point in our lives.
Anxiety essentially alerts us to a perceived threat of some kind. It is an experience designed to keep us safe.
It is more about the future than the present though, focusing on what might happen...the what if's, rather than what is actually happening.
When we experience anxiety, it can affect our body, mind and emotions.
We may feel a sense of unease, have thoughts that something bad may happen and we can experience different physical symptoms such as a tight chest, unsettled tummy, nausea, tingling skin and palpitations.
If feelings of anxiety are particularly strong, or persist for a long time, it can be a distressing and overwhelming experience.
Stressful Experiences
It is natural to experience anxiety in response to common stressful experiences, such as taking a driving test, sitting exams, attending interviews, starting a new job, giving a presentation etc.
Some people will experience more anxiety than others, but symptoms usually settle and disappear after these events have passed...the threat to us is no longer present.
Other experiences that can be common triggers are things like health concerns, adjusting to change, bereavement and loss, fluctuating hormones, skipping meals, financial or housing difficulties, working too many hours, caffeine, alcohol and conflict.
Sometimes, everyday experiences such as socialising with friends, visiting specific places or experiencing certain smells may trigger anxiety.
This can be confusing for us if we don't understand why?
The level of stress we experience in a situation will depend upon how we perceive it, what it means to us, along with our ability to manage it.
'Fight', 'Flight', 'Freeze' , 'Fawn'
Our body's natural response to the stress of any threat, actual or perceived, is to activate our sympathetic nervous system so that we can escape or survive that danger.
We may experience fight, flight, freeze or fawn responses when we are activated.
We do not get to consciously choose our responses.
Feeling Stuck
If we are experiencing long term, chronic stress, we may feel stuck.
Our sleep patterns and even our physical health can be affected.
We may recognise avoidance behaviours such as comfort eating or drinking too much alcohol, mindlessly scrolling through social media, avoiding going to certain places etc.
Some avoidance behaviours may feel like self-care in the short term, but they actually reinforce anxiety and can ultimately add to our stress levels even further.
A deeper understanding of what is really happening for us can allow us to recognise that this is not our fault.