You feel paralyzed by panic, fear, worry or stress. In fact, you have wondered if these are symptoms of anxiety.
You feel incredibly consumed by thoughts of panic, worry and fear. Perhaps your focus and concentration are constantly disrupted by intrusive, invasive thoughts that don’t seem to go away. Or, your anxiety manifests itself in physical symptoms that almost feel like a medical health issue—excessive sweating, racing heartbeat, body aches, nausea and vomiting. You have started to avoid the peoples, places and things that seem to be associated with this anxiety. It may be related to a very specific phobia, or perhaps it’s an intense fear of public situations or it may even be a generalized feeling that doesn’t discriminate. You just know that the anxiety is all consuming and overwhelming. You have started to withdraw from your family, your loved ones, co-workers, friends. Seeing them feels like the last thing you want to do.
You question and wonder if anyone will actually understand what you are experiencing. You may feel so anxious that you are starting to explore ways out of work or other responsibilities. You have tried to navigate these issues on your own but the panic, worry and fear continues to persist.
The reality is that anxiety disorders are the most common mental health issue in the United States. In fact, more than 40 million American adults have an anxiety disorder in any given year.
We all are going to experience some amount of anxiety or even stress in our lives. And often this stress, also called eustress, can be a really good thing because it forces us to be alert, to be prepared and to take action when necessary. For example, if you are preparing for an important public talk or presentation, you will most likely feel some amount of anxiety that will drive you to prepare. However, those who experience deeper, more intense anxiety that prevents following through with the day to day responsibilities may be experiencing an anxiety disorder. Those who experience this level of anxiety often recognize and experience the physical symptoms. There is a wide spectrum of symptoms and severity. You may feel persistently nervous and uncomfortable and be able to make it through the day, or your anxiety may be so severe that it results in panic attacks and affects your ability to function or even leave your home. As a result, living with anxiety can be an incredibly isolating, lonely experience that can leave many feeling hopeless and desperate.
As a Cincinnati, OH based mental health counseling practice, Launch Point Counseling provides effective counseling and therapy services for individuals who may be experiencing anxiety symptoms or signs of anxiety.
What causes anxiety?
Anxiety exists to help us survive. When under intense pressure or stress, it serves as an alert mechanism. As noted previously, experiencing a mild amount of anxiety can be beneficial because it helps us prepare to take action. As a male counselor who specializes in anxiety, I’m aware that anxiety is often caused by a variety of factors including but not limited to biological, environmental or situational forces. Some of these factors include a genetic predisposition to anxiety (i.e. having an anxious parent), having experienced trauma or having learned behavior that reinforces anxiety.
What is anxiety? What are signs of anxiety?
We often talk about anxiety as a single concept or idea. The reality is that it’s a collection of a variety of disorders that exist along a spectrum. Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders, affecting more than 40 million American adults which is more than 18% of the US population. Despite that, they are also some of the most some of the most treatable disorders as well. Across all anxiety disorders, you may experience some of the following symptoms:
Fatigue
Restlessness
Irritability
Impaired focus or concentration
Impaired sleep
Persistent worry
Invasive or intrusive thoughts
Avoidance of people, places, situations or things
Panic
Fear
Agitation
Muscle tension
Racing heart rate
Nausea
Perspiration
Rapid breathing
If you recognize any of these anxiety symptoms in either yourself or a family member, consider scheduling an appointment with Launch Point Counseling to get started with anxiety treatment. We are located in Cincinnati, OH. We will explore your anxiety symptoms and their impact, what you hope to get out of anxiety counseling and therapy and how we can help.
Some of the most common anxiety disorders include:
Anxiety treatment can help you work through anxiety symptoms, so that you can begin to thrive in your life
You recognize that your daily experience with anxiety is not who you are but rather what you are experiencing. The good news is that anxiety is a treatable disorder and illness, and there is a lot of research out there that lays the groundwork for how to best tackle it. Some of the more common therapeutic approaches include:
Counseling or therapy, specifically Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Biofeedback, and Exposure Therapy
Psychiatric medication commonly known as anti-anxiety medication
Support and family groups that focus on psycho-education
Holistic approaches to health and wellness including exercise, nutrition, acupuncture, yoga and more
At Launch Point Counseling in Cincinnati, OH, we will begin treating your anxiety by exploring the thoughts, feelings and behaviors that are associated with your pain. We will begin to unpack and re-frame the negative, irrational thinking patterns and self-limiting behaviors that are affecting your ability to feel good and function well. With increased self-awareness and mindfulness, we can begin to identify ways in which you want to change and grow. Regardless if it’s incremental progress or significant change, we will strive to move forward together. Treatment of anxiety varies and is individualized to meet your specific needs. It is possible to manage your anxiety and to begin living your life with energy, purpose and on your terms.
What can you expect in anxiety counseling and therapy?
If you are ready to take the first step in changing your life and finding your own “Launch Point”, below is what you can expect when you come to counseling and therapy for anxiety:
Space to share and explore your anxiety symptoms and how these symptoms affect your day to day functioning.
Unconditional support and positive guard. At Launch Point Counseling in Cincinnati, OH, our time getting to know one another and building a strong, therapeutic relationship is at the core of creating change.
Clarity regarding what your goals and objectives are. When you begin counseling, we will spend time exploring a pathway forward so that you can begin to feel relief from the anxiety.
Development of coping skills to navigate the obstacles that prevent you from getting from Point A to Point B. These obstacles might be internal and specific to you or external and specific to your family, home, workplace or some other environmental factor.
An opportunity to have meaningful dialogue, time to ask questions and frequent check ins about progress. At Launch Point Counseling in Cincinnati, OH, we value your time. We want to make sure that you are achieving what it is that motivated you to make that first phone call and schedule that first appointment.
You are still unsure if anxiety therapy will help.
If you have never experienced anxiety counseling before, it is very common to be unsure, nervous or even skeptical. At Launch Point Counseling in Cincinnati, OH, we have worked with many individuals who weren’t entirely sure if counseling and therapy for anxiety would be a good fit. Some of the more common questions or concerns we receive are listed below:
I have a really busy work schedule. I don’t know that I have enough time for anxiety counseling.
At Launch Point Counseling in Cincinnati, OH, we recognize that in this modern, global world, we are busier than ever. There are numerous obligations, forms of media and people to distract us. If you find that your work performance, relationships or even self esteem are suffering, one of hour anxiety treatment a week is a small investment of time to help you take a deep breath and identify a path to help you move forward.
I’m used to doing things on my own and I’m not sure you can help me with my anxiety.
Counseling is not meant to create dependence; in fact it’s the opposite! The goal of anxiety treatment is to equip you with the tools and skills to overcome the obstacles that are in the way of your success. We are here to support that process but you are the one making the changes and putting in the work to see results. While you may not be comfortable asking for help, the goal is to help you feel and become more independent.
I’m worried about the cost of getting help for anxiety. Is it even worth it?
The value of anxiety counseling may depend upon how much you value your well being, your productivity and the quality of your relationships. If these areas are suffering, the money you spend for anxiety treatment is an investment in you. At Launch Point Counseling in Cincinnati, OH, we can also create a plan that is a fit for your budget. While many folks attend weekly, some decide to step down to biweekly as they are making progress and accomplishing their goals.
Are we just going to sit there and talk about my anxiety? What does anxiety treatment actually look like?
Anxiety counseling can look very different from client to client, therapist to therapist. But in general, the early stages of anxiety treatment include a lot of information gathering and relationship building. The relationship between client and counselor is at the core of this process. At Launch Point Counseling in Cincinnati, OH, we will eventually transition into goal setting and treatment planning, so that we have a path forward. It is imperative that we continue to check in with each other to ensure that you are making progress and getting value out of your anxiety therapy experience.
You can live a life worth living. We can help you manage your anxiety.
We serve communities in and around Cincinnati, OH.
While you may feel isolated and anxious at this time, it is important to know that you are not alone—we will walk this journey with you from the moment you contact us through your entire counseling experience. The counseling process is intentional; it is designed to create meaningful, sustainable change. Anxiety counseling, also known as anxiety therapy, gives us the space to begin to peel back the layers of some of the issues that reinforce your anxiety at a pace that works for you. As our work together evolves, you will develop more self awareness, identify cognitive and behavioral changes you want to make, and then we will put those changes into action TOGETHER. Anxiety counseling is very much a partnership between you and the counselor. If you are located in a local Cincinnati community, consider scheduling that consultation or intake appointment with Launch Point Counseling.
To get started with Anxiety counseling today…
Schedule your depression counseling appointment
Meet with Brad Fittes, a caring, trusting male counselor to explore your anxiety symptoms
Start living your best life!
Other Therapy Services at Launch Point Counseling in Cincinnati, OH
Counseling and therapy for anxiety isn’t the only service that we offer at the Cincinnati counseling location. Other mental health services at Launch Point Counseling include teen counseling, counseling for young adults, men’s counseling and depression counseling. You have the motivation, wisdom and self awareness to begin anxiety therapy today and experience relief and progress—we will walk this journey with you!