Therapy for Anxiety

Anxiety can be a natural response to stress, danger, and uncertainty. Having some anxiety can be helpful in some situations; it can motivate us to prepare and act (like when it’s time to prepare for an exam or make a difficult decision). But too much anxiety, for too long, can become a problem.

Is anxiety stressing you out?

• Have you been feeling overly anxious, tense, uneasy, or scared?

• Has anxiety been affecting your body? Have you been sweating or trembling, with a racing heart or shortness of breath?

• Has anxiety been affecting your thinking? Have you been worrying, overthinking things, catastrophizing (expecting the worst to happen), or having a hard time concentrating?

• Has anxiety been affecting your behavior? Have you been avoiding situations and activities that trigger your anxiety? Has this been disrupting your work, school, or social life?

Anxiety can be related to:

• ongoing, excessive worry about many issues, even when there's no apparent reason for concern (as in generalized anxiety disorder or GAD).

• sudden, intense episodes of fear or panic, with physical symptoms like chest pain or a racing heart (as in panic disorder).

• intense fear of others’ judgment in social situations, leading to avoidance or extreme discomfort in social interaction (as in social anxiety disorder).

• excessive, irrational fear of specific objects, situations, or activities (for instance, heights, flying, or spiders) (as in phobias).

• anxious thoughts (obsessions) that can lead to repetitive behaviors (compulsions) to reduce anxiety (as in obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD).

• trauma, often with other symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, or hypervigilance (as in post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD).

• insecurity in intimate relationships (as in an anxious attachment style).

• fear of closeness and commitment in intimate relationships (as in an avoidant attachment style).