ANXIETY

It comes in all shapes and sizes.

Panic attacks are the worst…

I can’t breathe! Am I having a heart attack? Am I literally going to die? Or have I just completely lost my mind?

But constant, mild anxiety is no picnic either. You never feel quite right.

Is this physical or mental? Or both? All I know is something ain’t right. Am I crazy? Does everybody feel like this? Does anybody else feel like this? Why can’t I just stop thinking about it? This is stupid!

I know how consuming anxiety can be.

Whether you’re worrying about your health, a relationship, your job, or a loved one… or if you’re dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder… anxiety sucks!

You are not your anxiety.

Anxious thoughts are just that: thoughts. They are not reality. But even if we remember that in our head, it’s often easy to forget it in our gut.

Anxiety develops and becomes stronger over time.

We get used to a very specific pattern of thinking which becomes our reality. Then we get used to a very specific pattern of behavior.

Unfortunately, we feed our anxiety every time we avoid something that causes it, or we do something that temporarily relieves it. We teach ourselves that our anxiety is realistic, and we have to make it go away with a very particular response.

We become completely wrapped up with our anxious thoughts and the only response we know.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could just shrug and move on?

Anxiety is a constant liar.

We often vastly overestimate the likelihood of something taking place. We often feel absolutely sure that the worst-case scenario will happen.

And to support our pessimistic views, we often make up elaborate stories that include “incredible insight” about others’ thoughts and motives.

Anxiety is a false alarm going off in our head. It makes us feel as though we have to either do or avoid certain things. It makes us feel like we have to think or say certain things. We don’t. In fact, doing those things only serves to strengthen the anxiety.

I can help you retrain your brain to manage and minimize these thoughts.

We will clarify what situations or conditions trigger your anxiety…

An email from your boss?

Driving on the highway?

Going to see your mother?

A routine annual visit to your doctor?

I’ll help you develop a better understanding of how you respond to anxiety. Do you have repetitive negative thoughts like “I can’t handle this.”? Do you have a physical reaction like increased heart rate, sweating or stomach problems?

Then we can get to work on new ways to respond. That’s the hardest part. You will have to practice new ways of responding. Practice, practice, practice. Practice new behavior and new ways of thinking.

Over time, your new responses will cause actual physical changes in your brain. Your brain will develop new pathways that will become second nature. That’s when it will start to get easier.

Are you finally ready to tell anxiety to take a hike?

Are you ready to stop the vicious cycle of avoidance that makes anxiety worse? Are you ready to get rid of the burden in your head?

Call me today for a free phone consultation: 630-730-5123.