Should I get help for my anxiety?
Anxiety can significantly impact your daily life, affecting relationships, work, and overall well-being. Seeking help for anxiety is beneficial for several reasons. One of the biggest issues with anxiety is the avoidance behaviours that it leads to.
Cycle of Avoidance and Anxiety
The cycle of avoidance and anxiety is a common pattern that many individuals experience. It begins with an initial feeling of anxiety triggered by a particular situation, thought, or event.
As anxiety intensifies, the individual may engage in avoidance behaviours. Avoidance acts as a temporary relief strategy, allowing the person to escape the anxiety-provoking situation. For example, someone might skip social gatherings to avoid feelings of panic or embarrassment. While avoidance can provide immediate respite from anxiety, it ultimately reinforces the original anxiety and leads to long term anxiety growth.
Each time an individual avoids a situation, their belief that the situation is indeed threatening becomes strengthened. This reinforcement creates a feedback loop: anxiety leads to avoidance, which in turn increases anxiety over time. As a result, individuals may find their world shrinking, limiting opportunities for social engagement or personal growth.
Breaking this cycle often requires intentional therapy interventions. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is particularly effective, as it helps individuals confront their fears gradually. By recognizing and challenging irrational thoughts, individuals can reduce their anxiety levels. Additionally, exposure therapy techniques can be employed, where a person is gradually exposed to their fears in a controlled manner, with the support of a therapist.
It's crucial to acknowledge that while the cycle of avoidance and anxiety can feel overwhelming, there are effective therapeutic strategies available to help individuals regain control. By taking proactive steps towards facing their fears, individuals can begin to disrupt the cycle and foster resilience.
Anxiety and avoidance are often best friends. Living with anxiety typically means avoiding many of the things that make us anxious, leading to our world shrinking over time. Going to therapy can help can facilitate a deeper understanding of your anxiety, allowing you to manage symptoms more effectively and enhance your overall quality of life.
Going to therapy for your anxiety can help you develop effective coping strategies. Therapists at Cedar Tree Therapy are experts in arming you with various coping mechanisms, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) strategies and dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) strategies to name a few. These strategies can assist you in navigating challenging situations, no longer avoid what makes you anxious, and helps to reduce your anxiety levels over time.
Engaging in therapy for your anxiety can help you to get to know yourself on a deeper level. Therapy provides a safe space to explore the specific triggers of your anxiety. This exploration helps you develop personalized strategies to address and mitigate these triggers' impact.
Therapy offers a judgment-free zone where you can express your feelings and experiences openly. This supportive environment fosters a sense of understanding and connection. The relationship you develop with your therapist can be an incredibly corrective and healing experience, and can allow you to learn that it is safe to trust others again. By understanding and managing your anxiety, you can improve your interactions with others, leading to healthier and more fulfilling relationships.
When left untreated, anxiety can escalate into more severe mental health issues. Early intervention is crucial to prevent these potential complications.
Many individuals experience anxiety, yet many people struggle to reach out for help. You don’t have to go it alone. Recognizing that we all experience mental health challenges from time to time can empower you to take proactive steps towards your well-being.
Treatment For Anxiety
Seeking therapy for anxiety is a proactive step towards reclaiming control over your life. Engaging with a therapist can be a transformative experience, providing the tools needed to manage anxiety effectively and lead a fulfilling life. At Cedar Tree Therapy, treatment for anxiety typically involves a combination of therapeutic approaches tailored to the individual's needs. Common methods include:
1. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): CBT is considered the gold standard treatment for anxiety at this time. This approach focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns and behaviours that contribute to anxiety. CBT operates on the principle that our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are interconnected, and by altering negative thought patterns, we can decrease anxiety and improve our emotional well-being.
2. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a therapeutic approach that is increasingly used for treating anxiety. ACT aims to help individuals build psychological flexibility, which is the ability to remain open to experiences, including negative emotions, while actively pursuing valued actions. This shift from avoidance to acceptance can significantly improve one’s ability to cope with anxiety, enabling clients to lead more fulfilling lives.
3. Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT): Originally designed for the treatment of borderline personality disorder, DBT is effective for anxiety as well. DBT offers mindfulness skills, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness skills. DBT has been shown to significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety, improve emotional regulation, and enhance overall functioning in clients. By incorporating mindfulness and distress tolerance techniques, individuals can develop resilience against anxiety, allowing them to face challenges with greater confidence.
4. Exposure & Response Prevention Therapy (ERP): A subset of CBT, exposure therapy involves gradual exposure to feared situations or stimuli in a controlled manner. Gradual exposure to anxiety-provoking situations is a critical element of CBT. Clients confront these situations in a controlled manner, allowing them to build tolerance and reduce fear over time. This helps reduce avoidance behaviors and desensitize individuals to their anxiety triggers. This form of therapy is the gold standard in treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
5. Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques: A wonderful addition to the therapy models above, these include practices such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, and progressive muscle relaxation. They help promote relaxation and reduce the physiological symptoms of anxiety.
6. Medication: In some cases, medication may be prescribed alongside therapy. Common options include antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or anti-anxiety medications like benzodiazepines, depending on the severity and duration of anxiety symptoms.
7. Lifestyle Modifications: Encouraging lifestyle choices that support your mental health, such as regular exercise, a balanced diet, adequate sleep, and reducing caffeine and alcohol intake, can significantly impact anxiety management.
Each client’s treatment plan is personalized, taking into account the individual’s specific experiences and preferences, ensuring the most effective approach to manage anxiety. If you think you might benefit from having more control over your anxiety, do not hesitate to reach out to Cedar Tree Therapy and book a free 15 minute consultation.
About the Author
Dana Etherington is an Occupational Therapist, Psychotherapist and the Owner of Cedar Tree Therapy, a group psychotherapy practice located in Brooklin, Ontario. Dana uses cognitive behavioural therapy along with other evidence based treatment modalities to treat anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and disorder eating.