Anxiety and Panic Counseling
Has Your Anxiety Become Harder and Harder to Control?
Are You Tired of Worrying and Having Panic Attacks?
Understanding Anxiety
Do you often feel tense, edgy, nervous or even jumpy? Do you worry a lot, have racing thoughts and find your worried thoughts difficult to control? Do you often get heightened anxiety reactions (panic attacks) that cause you to want to escape? Have family or friends ever pointed out that you seem too nervous?
Many people with these symptoms feel like they are physically ill, even though a doctor has told them that they are ok medically. The symptoms are typically caused by the body’s response to fear (worry) because it is reacting to a perception of life threatening danger.
The natural response to danger that exists in all of our brains is critical to our survival. However, when that natural response gets continually triggered by fearful thoughts and a pattern of ongoing anxious feelings, intense mental and physical discomfort and panic attacks can develop.
Symptoms such as: apprehension, irritability, shortness of breath, sweating, headaches or light headedness, restlessness or edginess, chest pain, heartburn, nausea, indigestion, poor concentration, fatigue and several others, are caused by your body producing too much adrenaline.
If you were in a physically dangerous situation where you could actually escape, you would need that adrenaline to power your body. However when the danger is generated by worried or negative thoughts (the perception of danger) the brain responds correctly but there is no real outlet for all that adrenaline.
It can be exhausting
Many anxiety sufferers feel exhausted trying to deal with the extremely uncomfortable symptoms of heightened anxiety. They wake up every day with a sense of foreboding, worried that they will have to deal with symptoms and fearful that they may even have a panic attack.
In fact many anxiety sufferers have several panic attacks a day! They may find themselves throwing cold water on their face at work or intensely squeezing the wheel of their automobile as they are driving just to stay in control of themselves.
There is good reason to feel exhausted. The body is going through a lot of stress trying to contain the adrenaline coursing through it. The muscles are contracting while the mind is racing. The amount of acute stress can be enormous and ultimately cause a system breakdown.
Learning About Anxiety and Anxiety Counseling
There are many different types and levels of anxiety. Doctors identify these different types so that we can develop more effective treatments for them.
Anxiety is defined as being in an ongoing state of apprehension or mental tension. It is feeling uneasy, nervous, doubtful, troubled and restless and generally having a sense of dread which often stays with a person all day throughout every day.
Some of the Anxiety Disorders such as: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Agoraphobia have been widely discussed in recent years by the media. Click here to read more about these anxiety disorders and how to cope.
Bear in mind that many of us have some of the minor symptoms of one or more of these disorders. For example we may become apprehensive about a forthcoming event or may feel very anxious about having to make a presentation to a class or group of professionals. We may even be a little too focused on physical symptoms and become hyper concerned about our own health at times.
It is only when the symptoms we experience become so difficult to handle and intrusive, making it very hard or even impossible to enjoy our lives that anxiety counseling becomes necessary.
Many people come in for anxiety counseling for the first time because of a panic attack. A panic attack often occurs when a person has let their anxiety build to a point where they can no longer control its effects.
Every week there are countless numbers of people going to hospital emergency rooms with what they believe are heart attacks that turn out to be panic attacks. Many of these people would likely have benefited greatly from anxiety therapy and perhaps avoided having a panic attack in the first place.
Can I Really Be Helped?
Yes you can!
Each person is unique and has their own particular perspective on the world. I will help you to understand how your perspective impacts your mind and body. I will train you to develop and implement strategies which work and give you more control of the symptoms that have been causing you so much distress.
You will become more aware of the types of things (triggers) that are likely to heighten those negative thoughts and feelings and how to deal with them more effectively. If panic attacks are occurring our goal would be to extinguish them.
If necessary, a consultation for a course of medication may be advisable. Taking medication alone is often not the answer for many people suffering with anxiety. It may help with the symptoms but only when paired with the proper anxiety counseling does it give the person a real sense of personal control.
Sometimes the combination of medication and anxiety counseling is the best solution. However, many clients who have come to see me have a concern about medication and we discuss this issue thoroughly before I make any recommendations.
Some Concerns About Anxiety Treatment
The therapy you may have had in the past may not have been so highly focused on your anxiety. The therapist you used may not have been a specialist in this area. In addition, you may not have had the motivation you currently have to tackle the issue and you may be more ready now than ever before.
As I mentioned above, many people have that same fear. Medication is often not necessary for anxiety therapy. Although medication has been helpful to many sufferers, I do not recommend it until we have fully discussed all aspects of treatment and have begun to work on helping you to gain control. However if medication seems appropriate for you we will discuss its pros and cons as it relates to your specific
Are you the right doctor?
I have been treating anxiety for over 25 years and am very proud to say that I have helped many take control of their lives. I am a professional member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) and you will find me listed as such on their website. I know anxiety can treated successfully and look forward to helping you.
There is no need to suffer any longer! If you or someone you know needs anxiety counseling please email me or call me at 305-933-9779 for a private telephone consultation.
You can also download my report: How to Cope with Anxiety located at the top of this page. Simply input your name and email address and then click get report.
Services are rendered either at my office located at 2999 NE 191 St. Suite 703, Miami, Florida 33180 or through video conference via Zoom, Skype or FaceTime. Serving all of the greater Miami area and beyond through Skype or FaceTime video conferencing.
