According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety affects 40 million adults annually. However, over 60% of people struggling with anxiety disorders don’t receive treatment. At Fort Wellness Counseling in Fort Worth, Texas, we have counselors that specialize in treating anxiety.
Anxiety is a treatable condition that affects so many who go untreated. Anxiety is characterized by tension symptoms where you feel you’re in danger or a misfortunate situation. It is when the body goes into a fight or flight mode because it perceives its life in some form is threatened.
While fear and anxiety are often used interchangeably, they are distinctly different. Anxiety is considered a future-oriented, long-acting response broadly focused on a diffuse threat. Fear is an appropriate, present-oriented, and short-lived response to an identifiable and specific threats.
There are several types of anxiety disorders, and symptoms include excessive worrying, especially in situations that are not threatening. Anxiety disorders are treatable. Anxiety is treatable and we have licensed counselors who specialize in treating anxiety in Fort Worth, Texas.
General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by persistent and extreme worry about things such as finances, family, health, and career. It causes significant distress or impairment in daily life. People with GAD often expect the worst possible outcome. If you find it difficult to control worrisome thoughts and it has been a few weeks or more, then speaking with a mental health professional can help. GAD affects 6.8 million adults any given year.
A few common signs and symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD):
Panic Attack a sudden or abrupt surge of intense fear and anxiety, sometimes including a fear of losing control, that is accompanied by physical symptoms such as accelerated heart rate, sweating, dizziness, and shortness of breath. A panic attack is an exaggeration of your body’s normal response to danger. Stress is one of the most common triggers for panic attacks and many of the symptoms can be quite frightening and escalate quickly.
A few common signs and symptoms of Panic Attakcs:
Panic Disorder occurs when you have recurring and unexpected panic attacks, so that you continuously worry about having another attack. You may also change your behavior to avoid situations that you associate with panic attacks. If you feel extreme stress and anxiety especially about your next panic attack then there is a chance that you have panic disorder.
A few common signs and symptoms of Panic Disorder include the following:
Social Anxiety Disorder is characterized by a severe fear of social situations, like meeting new people or eating in public, so much so that you avoid those situations and may experience panic attacks when social situations can’t be avoided. Generally social anxiety starts during late childhood and can resemble extreme shyness or avoidance of social interactions.
When someone with social anxiety disorder has to perform in front of a group of people, some symptoms that can surface include:
A phobia is a fear of an object or situation that becomes a significant problem because it prevents you from participating in routine activities, causing distress or impairment. Phobias are more intense than fears, and they occur when a person has significant and unrealistic fears around danger or a situation. Phobias are persistent, uncontrollable and irrational.
Common Phobias:
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a common and long-lasting disorder where a person has uncontrollable repetitive thoughts that leads to repetitive behaviors. When OCD goes untreated the behaviors can cause problems at work, school, with relationships, and ultimately cause self distress. The first step for treatment is to talk to a mental health professional who specializes in OCD.
A few common signs and symptoms of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder include:
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that is associated with disturbing and frightening events. People with PTSD may relive the traumatic experiences through nightmares and flashbacks. Sometimes PTSD can develop months and years after the event. PTSD affects 9 million adults in the United States.
A few common signs and symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) include:
It is normal for people to feel anxious but recover within days or a couple of weeks. People who experience fear and anxiety for weeks and find it interrupting their daily lives should reach out for support. Finding a mental health professional experienced in anxiety disorders can perform diagnostic assessments and provide treatment.
Some facts and statistics stated by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and the National Institute of Mental Health state:
The two main treatments for anxiety disorders are medication and psychotherapy and often it’s a combination of the two.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most common form of psychotherapy for anxiety disorders. It teaches specific coping skills to improve anxiety symptoms.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) helps to identify irrational and negative thought patterns. It teaches you how to replace the thoughts with positive thoughts and how to develop healthy emotional self-regulation.
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based, structured therapy approach that enables the brain to naturally heal itself through bilateral stimulation (eye movements). EMDR is designed to unprocessed traumatic memories and does not focus on talking in detail about the trauma.
BRAINSPOTTING is a brain-based therapy approach that utilizes points within a person’s visual field to focus on, also known as mindful focusing. The founder of brainspotting, David Grand Ph.D., found that where you look affects how you feel. Through brainspotting you’re able to treat unprocessed trauma.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is an evidence-based therapy that uses rapid eye-movement (REM) as treatment for trauma, phobias, fears, self-esteem, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. It removes negative images and replaces them with positive images so they are no longer triggering.
Medication is often used to help treat anxiety disorders in conjunction with psychotherapy. If the therapist you are working with thinks that your anxiety is significant enough to consider an evaluation to determine if medication is necessary, we will be able to refer you to a qualified psychiatrist and mental health provider in the area.
If anxiety is preventing you from enjoying everyday activities, it may be time to find help. Reach out and schedule an appointment with one of our Fort Worth Counselors at Fort Wellness Counseling in Fort Worth, Texas.
Growing up, Rane always loved taking things apart and putting them back together. This affinity for figuring out how things work now translates into his innate ability of helping clients understand why they see things the way they do.
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Karen Blandino, MEd, LPC has over a decade of experience in helping individuals, couples, and families as a therapist. She works with teenagers, and adults and specializes in anxiety, depression, grief, post-traumatic stress disorder, religious/spiritual trauma, narcissistic abuse, and trauma.
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As a therapist, she strongly believes in learning from integrative and holistic approaches to benefit and strengthen the mind-body connection. Hannah works with all ages – which includes children, preteen, teenagers, and adults.
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Kim has extensive experience and has worked for over 30 years in a variety of clinical settings. She's experienced in an array of topics and is very well respected by her colleagues. She is known for her specialties and expertise in trauma, anxiety, depression, and grief.
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