Anxiety Treatment

Anxiety is a horrible feeling of dread that happens when something threatens your wellness. 

What keeps you up at night? Do feelings of panic, worry, fear, dread, or apprehension overwhelm you? You may not have a specific cause you can identify or there may be many causes that are upsetting you.

All people feel anxiety at some time in their lives. Anxiety can mess up your sleep, disrupt your appetite, and cause you to feel terrible. We understand that problem of anxiety and the many ways it can make your life miserable.

You may have tried things on your own. Likely that people have given you advice on how to lessen anxiety. Some of it may have even worked a little for you. But the problem is that when it doesn’t work or just works a little, you need better help. The important thing is to know that your experience is unique but you are not alone. You can trust Orland Park Counselors to be the experts that can help you solve your anxiety problems.

There are various types of anxiety, but we have the solution to all anxiety problems. We provide fast, effective solutions. Below are the different types of anxiety that we are experts at treating.

Types of Anxiety We Treat Include:

• Generalized Anxiety

• PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

• OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)

• Phobias

• Panic Attack

• Selective mutism

Generalized Anxiety

There are many talk therapy treatments for Generalized Anxiety Disorder that have proven to be very effective. Some of these are talk therapy methods that have scientifically proven to be as effective as medications.

CBT Treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

One common treatment generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Research has shown CBT as more highly effective than all other psychological treatments for generalized anxiety disorder. CBT teaches different ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to situations that reduce anxiety and worry. CBT treatment for GAD can last anywhere between 10 and 20 sessions, with most people reporting significant symptom reduction after 10 sessions. CBT for GAD typically integrates several of the following Interventions.

Relaxation Treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Teaching people who worry a great deal to relax can be an important part of treatment. Because people who worry a lot usually have a great deal of muscle tension, it can be hard to go through any of the other CBT interventions without first learning to relax. Physical relaxation makes it easier for the mind to relax and let go of worries.

Cognitive restructuring

Cognitive restructuring involves examining unhelpful patterns of thinking, and learning new, more effective ways to think about challenging situations. With generalized anxiety disorder, cognitive restructuring focuses specifically on negative predictions about the future, and unhelpful attitudes about one’s ability to cope with difficult situations.

Mindfulness training

Mindfulness is simple. It takes come practice to use in your life. Mindfulness is focusing your attention to the things going on in your life in this very moment. And then eliminating unnecessary things from your attention. This can be a very important skill for someone whose mind tends to be distractible because of anxiety or to worry about future events that are not yet a problem.

Systematic exposure

Systematic exposure is an intervention that helps people to face their fears and test their extreme predictions. Usually this involves imagining the worst-case scenario that is the object of so much worry, and over-time making peace with it such that it no longer triggers anxiety. Exposure can also involve behavioral experiments, testing what happens when people act out of line with their worrisome thinking.  

Problem-solving training

Because people often feel anxious when crises arise, or are overwhelmed by their obligations, problem-solving training can be a helpful way to reduce objective stressors. Through learning skills to effectively manage stress, people can feel at ease even in difficult situations.

PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Most people who experience traumatic events recover without developing PTSD. People who experience interpersonal violence such as rape, other sexual assaults, being kidnapped, stalking, physical abuse by an intimate partner, and incest or other forms of childhood sexual abuse are more likely to develop PTSD than those who experience non-assault based trauma, such as accidents and disasters. Those who experience prolonged trauma, such as slavery, concentration camps, or chronic domestic abuse, may develop complex post-traumatic stress disorder which is similar but has a negative effect on a person’s ability to emotionally regulate and may have long reaching negative effects on someone’s identity or personality.

OCD Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder in which an individual has intrusive thoughts or compulsions to perform actions or repeated actions. OFten these behaviors often called rituals, are accompanied by persistent thoughts that cause unpleasant feelings of anxiety, dread, or disgust. Thoughts range from fear of not completing an activity, fear of dirt or germ contamination, fear of things that are not similiar, like brick pavers or patterns. Sometimes thoughts about religion, sexuality or contamination are the punishment of not follwoing through on these rituals.

Those rituals are the compulsive component of this disorder and they tend to manifest as the action that the affected can engage in to keep themselves safe. Often they are cleaning, handwashing, counting objects or certain actions such as how many times they turn a light off and then on and then off again. Often there is a feeling that if these rituals are not completed that a catastrophe will result. The performer of the rituals is able to get some anxiety relief after performing the ritual, but then anxiety, fear, then dread starts to build up and propel the affected into these rituals again in a cyclical fashion.

Treatment for OCD mshould involve psychotherapy such as Cognitive behaioral Therapy, however more modern techniques can focus on specific aspects of the OCD behaviors such as paradoxical intention, and Exposure Response Prevention Therapy.

At times medications can help in the treatment of OCD. However Medication has proven to be a temporary treatment that reverts to full symptoms once the medications are stopped. Medicines can speed up the recovery from OCD. However lasting change will require psychotherapy.

Phobias

A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder defined by a persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation. Phobias typically result in a rapid onset of fear and are usually present for more than six months. People with phobias often do not seek treatment because they often avoid activities associated with the fear. Such as taking the stairs, when the phobia fear is using the elevator. Those affected go to great lengths to avoid the situation or object, to a degree greater than the actual danger posed. If the object or situation cannot be avoided, they experience significant anxiety. They may feel dizzy, have a panic attack or even faint. Around 75% of those with phobias have multiple phobias.

It is recommended that specific phobias be treated with exposure response prevention in which the person is introduced to the situation or object in question until the fear resolves.

Specific phobias affect about 6–8% of people in the Western world and 2–4% in Asia, Africa, and Latin America in a given year.[1] Social phobia affects about 7% of people in the United States and 0.5–2.5% of people in the rest of the world.[6] Agoraphobia affects about 1.7% of people. Women are affected by phobias about twice as often as men. The typical onset of a phobia is around 10–17, and rates are lower with increasing age.

Panic Attacks

Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense anxiety or fear that may include rapid pressured heart beating , feeling hot or actually sweaty chest pressure as though a weight is on your chest, not being able to catch your breath, shaking, feeling dizzy or numb and a feeling of doom or that you are having a heart attack.

Typically these symptoms come on fast and last about 30 minutes but many people feel they can start to resolve within 10 minutes.

Panic attacks can occur due to several other associated disorders. They can be triggered by something you are aware of such as a stressor you know about, or come out of the blue, in which case we often look for causality to be something that is below your level of awareness.

Treatment of panic attacks should be directed at the underlying cause.[6] In those with frequent attacks, counseling or medications may be used.[5] Breathing training and muscle relaxation techniques may also help.[12] Those affected are at a higher risk of suicide.[2]

Do you still have questions about anxiety?

Do not put up with anxiety. Anxiety Treatment can help you.

• If you feel anxious throughout your day – If you experience constant Generalized Anxiety

• If you experience panic or panic-like symptoms like chest pains or stomach pains

• If you have limited your daily activities to avoid feeling more anxious

• If you experience anxiety in social settings or just feel like you don't fit in

• If you are continuing to return to the same thoughts or worries without resolution

• If you have had an emotional or physical trauma that is still causing you anxiety

Call us now for fast help feeling better. All of our counselors are specialists in treating anxiety.

Don't spend the rest of your life worrying or feeling intense anxiety when help is readily available by us at: Orland Park Counselors. We are passionate about treating our clients with kindness and proven methods of treatment so you can live a healthy, full life.

Everyone feels anxious at times, why is my anxiety different?

 It is important to know that humans experience anxiety as part of our regular day. Indeed it is one of the reasons that humans are still in existence!

It is adaptive for us all—it keeps us from engaging in things that are inherently dangerous and teaches us to manage risk.

However anxiety can be generalized such as during important life events, such as tests and job interviews, or public speaking. (for problems with managing anxiety during public speaking, both small and large - see under services for Public Speaking.

Anxiety can be helpful, adaptive and useful. 

The physical elements in our bodies that cause the subjective feeling of anxiety are called catecholamines. These are the neuro hormones that help regulate many aspects of our body's systems that keep us warm, process energy and keep homeostasis, or a balance of the elements that keep us alive.

Also the subjective feeling of anxiety can cause us to operate with caution, overcome adversity and flee to save our lives or engage in actions that can help us or others or even save our lives. 

When does anxiety is no longer helpful.

Most anything that serves a useful role in life can become a problem, and anxiety is no exception. If you find yourself anxious in a way that keeps you from performing at your best, if anxiety keeps you from engaging fully at work, gets in the way of your enjoyment of life, or if you have resigned yourself to being a ‘chronic worrier,’ you may have anxiety that would benefit from treatment.

Anxiety disorders are very common, and very treatable?

Excessive anxiety is very common, in fact approximately 33% of the population will have a diagnosable anxiety disorder during their lifetime. Given its impact on the body, many people with anxiety find themselves in their doctor’s offices on a regular basis with physical complaints such as stomach aches and headaches. Given its impact on the psyche, anxiety leads to social and professional withdrawal. People with anxiety disorders often complain of restlessness, difficulty concentrating, physical tension and sleep problems. Left untreated, anxiety can become a chronic and worsening condition. While anxiety disorders have a significant impact on life, the good news is, they are very treatable.

What is involved in anxiety disorder treatment?

 When you meet with me to begin anxiety disorder treatment, we will work together to help you develop new strategies to manage worry and stress in your life. Together we will address beliefs about the protective value of worrying. In anxiety disorder treatment, we will engage in active problem solving and the development of applied relaxation techniques.  Anxiety disorder treatment will help you learn evidence-based techniques for managing anxiety and worry in your life. Treatment for anxiety disorders will help you develop productive worry and preparation techniques, and learn to keep excessive anxiety in its place.

Is this a trait? Is this just me?

While yes, your worry is part of you. It may have been part of you since early childhood. And while we do see trends in families, what we call traits, there is the likelyhood that this is from a combination of those factors. All things being equal, what we do as best practices to help you feel better and function better is just the same. we can help people master anxiety in its place, and live from moment to moment in the best way.

What if treatment makes me stop worrying completely? Won’t that lead to other problems? 

Short answer: Nope.

Long answer: We help you to fill the void that anxiety leaves when we decide together to let it go. It may have been with you so long that it feels like you are losing part of yourself. That is a little trick your brain is playing on you. Bottom line: the best you is the one you will create without crushing anxiety.

I am beginning to see anxiety in my teen, what can I do to help? 

Anxiety disorders happen in childhood and teen years and it is necessary to address them early!

First address your own anxiety! You are their #1 role model. You can serve as the best role model for your children to help them to confront their anxiety. this regard, Practice with them: Help them learn relaxation techniques, assisting them with goal setting and organizational skills, and teach them to be experts at life.

But first or simultaneously: become an expert at life yourself to become the best role model for impressionable young people.

If you are concerned their anxiety is beginning to take over, seeking professional assistance can help them develop life skills that will give them tools for now and their future.

We understand that it is a difficult decision to get therapy.

We want you to know that we care. We have been there ourselves and many of us have struggled also. We have used the same excuses and put off getting help just like you. But something stood out that made us begin to take care of ourselves and we want you to know we are here for you. Something made you click on our website and you are here now. The next step is to meet with us and something tells you that you are ready for change. We are the experts that can help you with a combined 120 year of experience. Now is the time to take care of yourself.

 Further reading: https://anxietychecklist.com/panic-attack

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