Are You Caught In a Never Ending Cycle of Anxious Thinking?
Do ruminations, worries, or past failures create a sense of panic and doom in yours or your child’s everyday life? Are you or your child constantly concerned that there is no such thing as being “good enough” at home, school, or work? Does it feel as though superhuman strength is needed to accomplish everything that you or your child “have” to do? Perhaps you or your child find it difficult to prioritize certain life goals or tasks, and that can keep either one of you stuck in a cycle of second-guessing every decision. Or maybe you or your child experience emotional outbursts or even verbal or physical “meltdowns” that result in conflict with peers or family members.
People of all ages and circumstances struggle with anxiety, and its effects can manifest differently for everyone. For example, you or your child’s thoughts may often default to anticipating catastrophic outcomes from minor setbacks such as failing a test or missing an exercise routine. If this type of extreme thinking becomes more frequent, your or your child’s thoughts, feelings, and actions may constantly gravitate towards preparing for the “worst case scenario.” Whether or not the situation has actually even happened, or is logically likely to happen, it “feels like” it already happening, has happened, or is definitely going to happen in the immediate future. This “all or nothing” mindset can result in exhausting cycles of self-judgment, criticism, dread, and panic attacks. It may seem that the only way for you or your child to feel better is to attempt to gain control over every single situation or interaction, and even the “small stuff” seems like “big stuff.” A need for things to be “perfect” can lead to “analysis paralysis,” or the inability to take any action, because achieving perfection is of course, only an illusion anyway. You or your child may also be experiencing physical symptoms caused by anxiety such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, headaches, stomachaches, grinding teeth, or neck and back pain. Perhaps your or your child’s life has been hijacked by anxiety for so long that even trying to envision what true relaxation fees like seems impossible.
Therapy for anxiety can help you stop feeling like you are constantly exhausted or failing and help you enjoy life again.
Anxiety Is A Common Result Of Societal Pressure
Growing and taking chances to create the life we envision for ourselves comes with some degree of risk. For example, while starting at a new school or accepting a new job might be a tremendous accomplishment, these types of positive milestones might bring about feelings of fear and uncertainty. In order to move to the “next level,” we have taken a leap of faith, upset the status quo, and we are now outside of our comfort zone. Suddenly, we are questioning our judgement and our self worth, and that “little voice” of doubt in our mind is suddenly blaring like a loudspeaker, and we wonder what possessed us to even take a chance in the first place. Before we even realize what has happened or had a chance to stop it, our thoughts are back into a loop of anxiety, panic, and fear: “Maybe I was stupid to even try.” “Other people are so much smarter, more qualified, and better looking that I am.” “I had better quit while I am ahead.” Sound familiar? Or maybe you have watched your child struggle with whether or not it is ok to “color outside the lines” once in a while by introducing themselves to a new friend or trying a new activity.
Maybe you or your child are feeling inferior or pressure to keep up with appearances. We live in a high-pressure society and it may feel as if we are always expected to do more tasks, show off more accomplishments, or have more money. “More” can feel like a slippery slope, because our anxiety and fear can take over completely unchecked, sending us the message that we will never be, have, or do “enough.” As if a competitive “real life” society was not a big enough problem, we are also living in an era of technology that is constantly showing off the “highlight reels” of our friends and family, and even people we have not actually spoken to in years. This constant bombardment of distractions, notifications, rings, pings, buzzes, etc. gives the impression that we are expected to keep up with all of these updates, and that we should even enjoy doing so. Fear of missing out has been conditioned into us, and we are again feeling anxiety and pressure because we are failing to “keep up,” and in fact, if we take even a few minutes to “unplug,” that we are sure to miss something absolutely integral to our well being.
Many times the people around us and especially our children can be influenced by these types of perfectionistic tendencies and “have to” thought processes we have modeled for them, and they also develop their own symptoms of anxiety.
Fortunately, anxiety treatment can help you keep this pattern from emerging and hold your symptoms of anxiety at bay.
You Can Reframe Your Thoughts And Fears With Anxiety Treatment
When struggling with anxiety, it is easy to lose sight of the desires, goals, and relationships that once served as motivators. However, designating time for treatment or therapy is the first step in hitting the “reset” button and taking time to re-evaluate your priorities. At New Beginnings Psych, we have a team of experienced therapists and counselors who are prepared and eager to help you find relief from your anxiety.
We aim to create a warm, compassionate, and direct atmosphere where you can designate a regular, uninterrupted, period of time for you or your child to slow down and reflect on the aspects of life that are causing distress. Having this opportunity can offer an opportunity for clarity and allow the “noise” of anxious thinking to dissipate as you or your child begin to re-envision a life that makes sense. Together with your therapist, you will begin to develop meaningful solutions to your anxious thinking that are uniquely tailored to yours or your child’s situation.
We will begin with conversations about yours or your child’s main concerns and establish a model for sessions that is comfortable and coincides with your vision. Our main objective will be to clarify yours or your child’s needs and wants so that you can regain control in the areas of your life where anxiety has created problems.
Your therapist will use evidenced based models such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) as well as “person centered” and “strengths based” approaches. These anxiety treatments at New Beginnings Psych will help you or your child to get to the “root causes” of anxious thinking so that you can better understand what triggers your or your child’s anxiety and how to keep thoughts from snowballing. It is also our goal to help you or your child practice verbalizing thoughts and feelings to get needs met from situations and individuals in your life. This ability to advocate for yourself and your needs will help you or your child build confidence over time so that eventually, getting needs met will become second nature.
Our team of experts is invested in helping you to restructure your thoughts and feelings so that you can enjoy life and relax more easily. We strive to create an environment for our clients where they feel accepted, empowered, and free of worry. With professional help for your anxiety, a healthy, balanced life is possible.
Perhaps you are considering treatment for anxiety, but there are additional factors that concern you…
I do not have time to invest in anxiety therapy.
Anxiety can often be caused or made more severe by difficulty prioritizing tasks and values. Quickly adapting to new and ever changing circumstances can be a great skill, but sometimes we really need to evaluate if we are running our lives, or if it is our schedules dictating to us how life should be. Maybe it is time to slow down and make self-care and mental health a top priority.
Seeking the help of an anxiety counselor or therapist is an important step in understanding how to structure your or your child’s time and energy, which can provide the opportunity to reintegrate meaningful priorities into your or your child’s life. If you or your child are struggling with anxiety, therapy and counseling can offer the opportunity to develop a toolbox for life to aid in better managing time and stress.
I do not have money to invest in anxiety therapy.
There is no price tag on your mental health or general well-being. If anxiety is creating problems in your life, there are cost-effective solutions available to help you find relief. Investing in anxiety treatment for yourself or your child now can pay off in the long term in the form of healthier relationships, clarity of goals, and an ability to enjoy life more fully. Moreover, New Beginnings Psych accepts insurance so that anxiety treatment can be more affordable.
I am afraid this process will be too difficult or emotionally burdensome.
Being honest and open can be a scary experience for most people. That being said, the therapeutic process does require some degree of vulnerability to be effective. Facing ourselves, our fears, and our anxieties is necessary if we want to better understand the root causes of our anxious thinking, and stop it for good. Identifying and confronting our fears come more naturally over time, and feel comforting rather than concerning.
Emotions are complex and unpredictable at times, but treatment can liberate you from the cycles of panic and anxiety that create problems in your life. We at New Beginnings Psych want to offer you a fresh start and an opportunity to get to know yourself better as you begin to rewire your anxious thinking.
Anxiety Does Not Have To Dictate Your Life
If you are stuck in a loop of panic and anxiety, or if you are finding it difficult to hone in on what is most important to you, it may be time to seek anxiety treatment. Our counselors and therapists at New Beginnings Psych are here to offer support. For more information on our team members or to schedule your first appointment, please contact us.