Over the past few years, mental health awareness has grown drastically. More and more people are acknowledging the struggles individuals face on a daily basis, and this has contributed to a greater sense of understanding. Despite this growth of acceptance, there remain some misconceptions about seeking treatment. If you’ve been struggling with anxiety, you might’ve been holding back from seeking help due to inaccurate depictions of treatment. Here, I’ll pull up the veil from anxiety treatment to encourage those struggling to seek the relief they need.
Therapy Isn’t Just Talking
Many people are under the assumption that therapy is just a glorified form of talking. Although back and forth dialogue with a licensed clinical psychologist is a critical component of anxiety therapy, it’s certainly not the only piece of the puzzle. Talking is more of a tool used to help patients and therapists get to the root causes of anxiety, identify potential challenges, and develop a plan to overcome these obstacles to lead a healthier and more fulfilling life. The real backbone to successful therapy is much more effective, productive, and long-lasting.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety
One of the most effective treatment forms for anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Instead of trying to zap the anxiety itself, this comprehensive therapy seeks to help patients differentiate the difference between good and bad anxiety. Yes, not all anxiety is unhealthy! Feeling anxious about a potentially life-threatening situation is a natural survival mechanism that comes in handy from time to time. However, general anxiety is a hyperactive form of this natural reaction, making it detrimental to your health.
Through CBT, I can help patients identify their patterns of behavior that bring about repeated and sustained anxiety. During this therapy, you’ll learn about common thoughts and habits anxiety sufferers develop, such as rumination, catastrophizing, and overthinking. By recognizing the paths that lead you to excessive anxiety, you’re in a better position to avoid the harmful patterns to reduce your stress levels.
It’s helpful to think of anxiety as the warning system on a vehicle. When operating correctly, they simply point to problems that need to be addressed. However, when they’re faulty, these alarms end up causing us more stress than necessary when the problems aren’t real. Cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety teaches patients to identify when these anxieties are justified and when they’re a product of overthinking and excessive stress.
Why You Should Seek Anxiety Treatment
When our anxiety gets out of control, it can take over our lives. But anxiety is just an emotion, and it shouldn’t be allowed to identify you. Don’t continue suffering under the weight of constant stress anymore. Seeking anxiety treatment is one of the most effective ways of overcoming anxiety issues.
If you’re struggling with anxiety or know someone who is, feel free to contact me.
