a prevalent psychological health issue, impacts countless individuals worldwide. Anxiety Therapist In Bay Area … As a Licensed Scientific Social Worker (LCSW), I have seen the impact of stress and anxiety on countless lives. In this post, I will share an extensive exploration of anxiety through the lens of a recent treatment session with a patient, highlighting symptoms, treatment strategies, and my personal journey as a therapist with my own experiences of stress and anxiety In addition, we will go over a term paper by Harvard University that clarifies the complex nature of anxiety.|Stress and anxiety, a common psychological health concern, impacts millions of people worldwide. As an Accredited Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), I have actually seen the impact of anxiety on countless lives.}
presentation on strengths-based biopsychosocial techniques to addressing anxiety and while those are terrific you understand I believed perhaps we should look at you understand what’s a few of the current research study so I went into PubMed which is I do not understand it’s playground for me it’s where you find a great deal of the journal short articles and you can arrange and I sorted by posts that were done and meta-analyses that were done within the past five years so that gives us a concept about current research study I mean there’s a great deal of things that is still the exact same like some of the medications that were known to work 10 years ago are still known to be you know excellent first-line treatments however there are likewise some newbies that we’ll speak about and there are likewise some modifications that we’re going to talk about so we’re going to check out some common causes for anxiety symptoms in order to treat it we truly need to and naturally this does play into the biopsychosocial aspect we actually need to understand sort of what triggers it due to the fact that stress and anxiety that’s caused by for instance somebody having a racing heart might be different than stress and anxiety that’s caused for somebody who has abandonment problems so we’re gon na deal with the two things in a different way so we wish to look at a few of the common causes we’re gon na look at some common triggers for anxiety you understand what are some of these typical themes that we see in practice and I will ask you to share a few of the themes that you see that underlie a lot or underline of your customers stress and anxiety and recognize current finest practices for anxiety management including therapy interventions medications physical interventions and helpful treatments so we care since stress and anxiety.
can be debilitating and a great deal of our customers have anxiety a lot of our clients have anxiety comorbid with depression and they’re looking at us going how can I feel nervous and stressed and like I can’t sit still and depressed at the same time you understand when you’re depressed you’re supposed to wish to sleep well a lot of times people who are have both issues actually wish to sleep but they can’t so I want to assist clients comprehend that likewise often stress and anxiety when people are anxious for enough time the body begins kind of holding on to the cortisol the body actually acknowledges at a specific point this is a losing battle I’m not going to put energy into this anymore so it begins with drawing some of its excitatory neurotransmitter so to speak and people will start to feel depressed essentially the brain has actually currently said this is hopeless this is you’re you’re powerless to alter the circumstance so then individuals start feeling helpless and helpless which is sort of the meaning if you will of anxiety low-grade persistent tension and stress and anxiety occurred energy and individuals’s capability to concentrate so if we’re going to help them become their uber selves we need to help them find out how to attend to stress and anxiety not simply generalized frustrating devastating anxiety however likewise panic social stress and anxiety and those minor stress and anxiety sets off that come along that might not satisfy the limit for a medical diagnosis stress and anxiety is a significant trigger for dependency regression if you have a client who is self
medicated before or had a dependency for some reason anxiety is a significant trigger increased physical discomfort when anxiety goes up people tend to tense their muscles when they tense their muscles they tend to feel more discomfort I suggest think about when you’re stressed you tend to have more pain like in your neck in your back and things that already injured might hurt more why because serotonin which is among our significant anti-anxiety neurotransmitters is also among our significant discomfort modulators so when serotonin levels are too low because anxiety is high then our pain perception is going to be more acute and individuals can have sleep problems if you’re stressed your body believes there’s a risk you’re not going to have the ability to enter that deep peaceful sleep you may have you may sleep you may sleep a lot but it’s most likely not quality sleep which means your neurotransmitters may get out of whack your hormones make it out of whack and your body is going to start viewing your itself in a consistent state of stress when we’re tired the body knows that we may be the weakest link in the herd so it continues to secrete cortisol to keep keep you on alert a bit so you may once again you might be resting type of like when you have a new child in your home those first number of months that my children were home from the hospital I slept however I didn’t sleep well I indicate the slightest little sound and I was awake and I was browsing and you understand I felt it I felt exhausted and a great deal of brand-new parents do so sets off for anxiety desertion and rejection and we’re going to discuss methods we may wish to deal with these things but a few of the underlying styles that I have actually seen in a great deal of customers and when I do the research what a lot of what styles that come out include low self-confidence
if someone has low self-esteem they’re seeming externally verified usually they’re trying to find someone else to tell them you’re lovable you’re all right so that can result in stress and anxiety about not having individuals to tell them you’re alright which makes their relationships tenuous and can make them dysfunctional illogical ideas and cognitive distortions may lead people to think that if I’m not ideal for example I am not adorable so we’re going to look at some unreasonable ideas and cognitive distortions unhealthy social supports and relationships when you’re in a relationship it takes two to tango and even if your customer is reasonably psychologically and physically healthy if they are in an inefficient relationship they can fear abandonment and rejection if that other individual is constantly stating if you do not do X I’m going to leave you or if that other individual is constantly cheating on them or whatever so relationships can set off abandonment stress and anxiety and inefficient interpersonal skills can lead to relationship turmoil and social exile if our customers remain in relationships even if they’re not entirely dysfunctional if our customers are unable to ask for what they require and set proper borders and manage dispute efficiently since dispute occurs in every relationship then they might begin to argue more which may cause fearing may result in relationships ending in the past and them going well every relationship I get into ends which implies I need to not be adorable so they start fearing abandonment and rejection so these are 4 locations that we can take a look at one more evaluating customers another concern is the unknown and loss of control a great deal of times unfavorable self-talk and cognitive distortions can add to that if I do not have control of everything then it’s all going to be a disaster unfavorable others when customers hang out or when people hang out with unfavorable individuals it kind of wears on you after a while you see that individuals who are tend to be more unfavorable cynical conspiracy minded tend to socialize with individuals who are also negative downhearted and conspiracy minded so if you’re hanging out with somebody who tends to be nervous then the anxiety can be palpable and it can kind of penetrate physical problems can lead people to be distressed because they do not understand what’s triggering it like I said previously sometimes if your heart begins to race if you do not know what’s causing it you can begin thinking I’m having a cardiovascular disease or I’m gon na die when people have panic attacks for example they truly think they’re having a heart attack and
it’s I have actually had them they are extremely very unpleasant experiences however when people begin having physical complaints and it can be you understand they have a strange rash that they can’t get to go away or it whatever but when they do not understand what it is and they can’t control it they can’t make it go away they begin thinking of all the worst-case circumstances and browsing the web and getting on WebMD which usually offers you all the worst-case circumstances um so physical grievances are important we require to normalize the fact that nobody’s pain-free all the time and you understand the reality that you may have a pains or a discomfort or a lump or a bump or you know a cough more than likely you understand when we look at probability the possibility of it being something considerable is pretty little now do you wish to get it had a look at most likely however you know the likelihood that is anything to be worried about is is relatively little and a sense of powerlessness can set off worry of the unknown and loss of control for someone who doesn’t feel like they have any agency in their life if they have an external locus of control or if they felt preyed on all of their life then they may fear not remaining in control they might be hanging on and stating alright this is the one location of my life I can manage when I grew up you know I grew up in an extremely chaotic environment I had no control I was bounced around in the foster system yadda yadda yadda now that I’m an adult you know I can manage these things and I am going to hang on with white knuckles and if I can’t manage whatever then that terrifies me death and loss are other triggers for stress and anxiety and it can be family pets or individuals and family pets are essential I do not want to minimize pets due to the fact that you know they are little parts of a lot of our households so making certain we examine that my child’s canine for example is it’s getting old she’s growing older she’s 14 now I think and you know she remains in decent health we took her to the vet and the vet stated yeah she’s got a little heart whispering but that’s anticipated for a 14 years of age pet dog and but when she heads out if she doesn’t return when I call her I have this rush of stress and anxiety for a second oh my gosh I hope this wasn’t the day so anxiety around losing people and you understand if she when she crosses the bridge she will and and you know
I’m fine with that I’m I have a harder time dealing with my daughter’s psychological turmoil when that happens and since she’s matured with this pet dog so you know those are the kinds of things that we want to talk about with our clients what things are weighing on you that you may not even be thinking of because I know in the back of my mind there’s constantly that worry about one of our donkeys and her pet tasks and promos can trigger stress and anxiety if individuals hesitate they’re gon na lose their job if they’re always afraid that you understand they’re gon na stroll in and get or get a pink slip fired you understand we want to help them take a look at how realistic is that are you doing what you require to do in order to attain and keep your job and sometimes it’s challenging to address I imply the first thought that a lot of us have is well you understand if you’re doing the ideal thing so just do it however there are those bosses out there and I’ve had some really amazing employers a lot of them and I’ve had 2 actually horrendous managers and those 2 bosses I might never I never ever seemed like I was able to do anything right therefore going to those jobs there was constantly this anxiety about what I’m what am I going to get in trouble for today so you want to talk with people about does your job cause anxiety what can you do to moderate that anxiety the same thing with promos individuals may get distressed about whether they’re going to get promoted security and security you know when you lose safety and security you can feel really anxious so if there’s a burglary at your house next door or a shooting down the road or you start viewing the news you can feel extremely risky and unsecure actually quickly so we wish to assist individuals find out how safe and protected are you really and a great deal of it goes back to really looking at truths when individuals lose their dreams and hopes or fear that they’re going to lose their dreams and hopes they can begin to get anxious you understand they have this dream that they’re going to be a physician or I just finished the presentation on assisting high school trainees shift to college and a lot of high school students for instance start college with these large eyes and wants to save the world and they want to be doctors and engineers and this and that and they enter into it and they realize that it’s a lot harder than they thought or they realize that you know what I truly don’t like this but I’ve already committed to it so what do I do or I want to assist individuals however I can’t I can’t cut it doing this you know for me I found out in my 2nd year that I wasn’t going to medical school due to the fact that I wasn’t going to pass calculus and that caused a great deal of anxiety it resembled fine what am I gon na do now you know what career needs to I select so assisting people find out do you have dreams that have possibly sort of crashed and burned and you need to find brand-new ones you know fine that a person we’ve got to accept it determine that it’s not going to be and what can you do now individuals
may also have dreams about relationships they enter into relationships and they see themselves with this individual forever and then this relationship ends and or starts to get rocky and they resemble however that’s my dream what takes place if my that’s got to occur because it’s my dream I do not know how to work if that goes away we want to assist people be able to rewrite their narrative and after that illness spiders and other phobias sort of goes in with death a great deal of times when individuals get sick they begin getting distressed that oh my gosh what if this is terminal oh my gosh what if this is you understand incurable if I get bit by a spider it’s gon na eliminate me and which is rare you understand there are very few spiders that are really that dangerous same thing with snakes going over bridges I have actually shared with you all that is not one of my illogical fears you understand I am just frightened that you understand something’s going to happen and I’m going to get pushed off the side of the bridge which is completely irrational but we need to assist individuals take a look at those and determine the thoughts that they’re telling themself about those fears and handle that stress and anxiety failure is another trigger for anxiety particularly in this culture our culture American culture in in big part puts a high premium on success and perfectionism so when individuals understand that they’re not ideal they might begin to get distressed due to the fact that they feel like if I’m not ideal then I’m a failure you know those cognitive distortions of all-or-nothing thinking and they begin with that negative self-talk you know you can’t do anything right so those are a few of the problems that you know we typically see in counseling sessions so what do we do you understand someone is available in and it like I can’t live by doing this doc stress and anxiety depression and substance conditions as well as a series of physical conditions are often comorbid so this is the first thing we require to realize we require to realize that we’re very hardly ever handling a very easy diagnosis you know when someone comes in we need to find out you know if they can be found in and they’re presenting with anxiety all right let’s discuss that and
Understanding Stress And Anxiety: A Client’s Experience:
In my current session with Emma (name changed for personal privacy), a 32-year-old woman, I had the chance to delve into the detailed layers of anxiety. These symptoms were interfering with her daily life, relationships, and total well-being.
Emma’s Treatment Strategy:
To deal with Emma’s stress and anxiety, we established a comprehensive treatment strategy customized to her special needs. Here are some key elements of her strategy:
Psychoeducation: Educating Emma about stress and anxiety and its physiological and mental symptoms helped her gain a much deeper understanding of her signs. This knowledge empowered her to acknowledge and validate her experiences.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is an evidence-based approach that concentrates on identifying and challenging unreasonable thoughts and beliefs. Emma discovered to reframe negative ideas and develop a more balanced point of view, slowly reducing anxiety-triggering cognitions.
Relaxation Strategies: Including relaxation methods such as deep breathing workouts, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness meditation helped Emma control her tension response and promote a sense of calm.
Exposure Treatment: As Emma revealed avoidance behaviors connected to particular triggers, we gradually exposed her to those scenarios in a regulated way. This exposure enabled her to face her fears and establish strength versus anxiety-provoking stimuli.
Self-Care and Way Of Life Modifications: Emma recognized the value of self-care practices in managing her stress and anxiety. She focused on routine workout, healthy eating, quality sleep, and engaging in activities she enjoyed to promote overall well-being.
My Journey as a Therapist:
My decision to end up being a therapist was deeply affected by my own struggles with stress and anxiety. When working with clients facing similar challenges, my personal journey has actually supplied me with unique insights and compassion. Having actually experienced anxiety firsthand, I am able to associate with my patients’ worries, concerns, and the impact anxiety can have on numerous elements of life.
Harvard’s Research on Anxiety:
A critical research paper titled “Understanding the Complexity of Anxiety: Insights from a Longitudinal Research Study” by Harvard University offers valuable insights into the complexity of anxiety disorders. The study followed a friend of individuals over a span of ten years and taken a look at numerous aspects adding to the development, upkeep, and treatment of anxiety.
The paper highlighted that anxiety conditions arise from a mix of hereditary, ecological, and mental aspects. It highlighted the importance of early intervention, evidence-based therapies, and holistic techniques in handling stress and anxiety successfully. The findings further highlighted the significance of a healing alliance and personalized treatment plans in resolving anxiety. Anxiety Therapist In Bay Area
Conclusion:
Anxiety is a deeply personal and complex experience that affects individuals in extensive methods. Through healing interventions like psychoeducation, CBT, relaxation strategies, direct exposure therapy, and self-care practices, people like Emma can gain control over their anxiety and lead satisfying lives. As a therapist, my personal journey with stress and anxiety enables me to supply caring and reliable care to my clients. The research study performed by Harvard University clarifies the intricate nature of anxiety, reinforcing the importance of tailored treatments and early intervention in promoting mental well-being. Together, we can navigate the maze of stress and anxiety and discover the path to a more peaceful and empowered existence.