Best Life Therapy Blogs - Grief, Anxiety, Stress & More
- posted: Jan. 26, 2025
Anxiety is a normal part of life that we all experience from time to time. It becomes a problem when it impacts our life and the worries become uncontrollable. According to the Mayo Clinic, over 40 million adults in the U.S. deal with anxiety. Women are twice as likely to experience anxiety as men. Anxiety can cause symptoms of nervousness, feeling like you are on edge, worry or fear. Sometimes it happens for good reason when we are facing something that we are nervous about such as a job interview or a big presentation. Other times the anxiety symptoms show up for no apparent reason. When this happens, you might experience persistent feelings of dread that occurs more days than not for at least 6 months. If this describes you, it's possible that you may be dealing with generalized anxiety disorder. There are many different types of anxiety some of which manifest in the form of a phobia, panic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). There is a genetic component to anxiety and individuals who have this often have others in their family who deal with anxiety as well.
At Best Life Therapy, you'll be able to meet with a trained therapist who can help you differentiate between the various forms of anxiety to provide you with an accurate diagnosis. Your therapist will then work with you on developing a treatment plan to assist you in alleviating the anxiety symptoms. To monitor and assess your symptoms, your therapist might request that you complete an assessment from time to time. The General Anxiety Disorder-7 or GAD 7. This is a self-assessment questionnaire that consists of 7 questions used to measure the severity of your symptoms. The higher the score, the more severe the symptoms. This assessment will provide your therapist with a baseline score which will help to measure your progress over time. At Best Life Therapy, if you are dealing with symptoms of anxiety, your therapist will likely request that you complete this at an interval that they deem to be appropriate for you.
It is a good idea to let your doctor know that you are dealing with anxiety symptoms to be sure there isn't anything else going on. Some of anxiety symptoms can be physical so ruling out other factors that could be contributing to the symptoms is important. Some people with anxiety might experience rapid heartbeat, sweating, dizziness, muscle tension, headaches, difficulty controlling the worry, difficulty breathing and an inability to relax. Anxiety can also cause panic attacks which have caused people to mistake the symptoms for a heart-attack. Other more severe forms of anxiety disorders include various phobias such as agoraphobia which is the fear of going into places in which escape could be difficult. This may mean crowded spaces, elevators, being on bridges or alone in open spaces. The fear of having a panic attack in public can cause people to isolate themself making it difficult for them to function. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is another form of anxiety which can severely impact a person's ability to function at home, work and in the community.
When left unchecked, anxiety can lead to other mental disorders including depression. The good news is that there is help! Anxiety disorders are treatable. With therapy and possibly medication, individuals can learn healthy coping skills and learn to manage their anxiety. If you need help with your anxiety, please don't hesitate to reach out to Best Life Therapy. We are here to help you. New clients can request their initial appointment at Best Life Therapy by using the request an appointment link on the first page of the website.
- posted: Jan. 26, 2025
Anxiety is a normal part of life that we all experience from time to time. It becomes a problem when it impacts our life and the worries become uncontrollable. According to the Mayo Clinic, over 40 million adults in the U.S. deal with anxiety. Women are twice as likely to experience anxiety as men. Anxiety can cause symptoms of nervousness, feeling like you are on edge, worry or fear. Sometimes it happens for good reason when we are facing something that we are nervous about such as a job interview or a big presentation. Other times the anxiety symptoms show up for no apparent reason. When this happens, you might experience persistent feelings of dread that occurs more days than not for at least 6 months. If this describes you, it's possible that you may be dealing with generalized anxiety disorder. There are many different types of anxiety some of which manifest in the form of a phobia, panic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). There is a genetic component to anxiety and individuals who have this often have others in their family who deal with anxiety as well.
At Best Life Therapy, you'll be able to meet with a trained therapist who can help you differentiate between the various forms of anxiety to provide you with an accurate diagnosis. Your therapist will then work with you on developing a treatment plan to assist you in alleviating the anxiety symptoms. To monitor and assess your symptoms, your therapist might request that you complete an assessment from time to time. The General Anxiety Disorder-7 or GAD 7. This is a self-assessment questionnaire that consists of 7 questions used to measure the severity of your symptoms. The higher the score, the more severe the symptoms. This assessment will provide your therapist with a baseline score which will help to measure your progress over time. At Best Life Therapy, if you are dealing with symptoms of anxiety, your therapist will likely request that you complete this at an interval that they deem to be appropriate for you.
It is a good idea to let your doctor know that you are dealing with anxiety symptoms to be sure there isn't anything else going on. Some of anxiety symptoms can be physical so ruling out other factors that could be contributing to the symptoms is important. Some people with anxiety might experience rapid heartbeat, sweating, dizziness, muscle tension, headaches, difficulty controlling the worry, difficulty breathing and an inability to relax. Anxiety can also cause panic attacks which have caused people to mistake the symptoms for a heart-attack. Other more severe forms of anxiety disorders include various phobias such as agoraphobia which is the fear of going into places in which escape could be difficult. This may mean crowded spaces, elevators, being on bridges or alone in open spaces. The fear of having a panic attack in public can cause people to isolate themself making it difficult for them to function. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is another form of anxiety which can severely impact a person's ability to function at home, work and in the community.
When left unchecked, anxiety can lead to other mental disorders including depression. The good news is that there is help! Anxiety disorders are treatable. With therapy and possibly medication, individuals can learn healthy coping skills and learn to manage their anxiety. If you need help with your anxiety, please don't hesitate to reach out to Best Life Therapy. We are here to help you. New clients can request their initial appointment at Best Life Therapy by using the request an appointment link on the first page of the website.
We Specialize in Anxiety, Depression, Grief and Trauma
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- Photo taken at Flushing County Park, Michigan