Anxiety Treatment

Do You Feel Like You’re Living In A Constant State Of Agitation?

Are you unable to cope with everyday challenges due to persistent stress or anxiety? Do you experience racing thoughts, muscular tension, or panic attacks that disrupt the way you live? Perhaps it seems as though you’re living in a constant state of hypervigilance—too on guard to relax and take life one day at a time. Or maybe past coping mechanisms—techniques that you once used to combat stress—have become ineffective or even harmful over time.

Anxiety rarely looks the same for any two people. You may be experiencing feelings of insecurity, self-doubt, or low self-esteem. Perhaps you want to tell others what you’re going through, but your own sense of inadequacy holds you back. Maybe you are afraid of how others will perceive you, or you feel they wouldn’t understand. When left untreated, anxiety can lead to feelings of extreme loneliness, sadness, and even depression.

If you want to overcome your anxiety and experience growth and transformation, we encourage you to contact us. You’re not alone, and you don’t have to fight through the pain by yourself. By working with one of our anxiety counselors, you can learn to cultivate a joyful, empowered state of mind.

Many People Feel Too Ashamed Of Their Anxiety To Seek Help

Anxiety presents itself in various layers and in myriad ways. Most of the clients who come into our office experience some form of anxiety-related symptoms. That’s because anxiety is like the twin sister of most major mental health issues; after all, almost half of all people suffering from depression also deal with anxiety. PTSD, OCD, acute stress, panic attacks, adjustment disorders, agoraphobia, and separation anxiety all have overlapping symptoms related to anxiety.

Anxiety is hard enough to live with in and of itself, but the individualistic culture we live in often makes matters worse. Our society loves to tout the importance of “getting by on our own power” or “pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps.” We fear being seen as weak or insecure for experiencing anxiety. Many of us come from families where mental health treatment has been stigmatized and seeking help is seen as shameful.

All of those attitudes create a lot of internal conflict that keeps people from seeking help. As a result, individuals often feel compelled to hide their struggles or ignore them altogether.

Unfortunately, no one ever overcame anxiety simply by pretending it didn’t exist. On your own, it’s hard to know exactly how anxiety is affecting you. Here at Wilmington Psychotherapy, we want to equip you with the tools and skills to regulate your thoughts and emotions and enliven you with the confidence to face tomorrow.

Anxiety Treatment Fosters Greater Self-Awareness And Offers Relief From Your Stressors

Self-awareness is the key to all personal growth. Through making the unconscious conscious and expanding your knowledge of your emotions and behavior, you can understand what is holding you back in life. In our sessions, you will learn to analyze and challenge your thoughts and replace negative behavior patterns with positive ones. We’ll take a close look at how anxiety manifests itself in your life, how it hampers your development, and how you’d like to practice self-care going forward.

In the initial intake session, we will generally perform a biopsychosocial review, which takes a detailed stock of your symptoms, family history, psychiatric history, and what your goals for anxiety therapy are. From there, you can expect to learn real-life coping skills uniquely tailored to your situation. If you’d like panic attack treatment, for instance, we can teach you how to practice calming techniques—such as meditation or focused breathing—that allay your anxiety and stop your symptoms in their tracks. Additionally, we’ll help you structure your day in a way that prevents panic and stress from interfering with your daily routine. This way, you can keep anxiety from getting in the way of your work, social life, and hobbies and interests.

There are a wide variety of approaches we draw from in helping clients overcome stress. One of these is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). At its core, REBT helps you challenge irrational thoughts and replace them with beliefs that are accurate, fulfilling, and empowering. Additionally, we also utilize Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Essentially an extension of REBT, ACT will help you diffuse painful emotions by confronting negative thought patterns directly. Instead of fleeing from your stressors or ignoring them altogether, you’ll learn to accept their existence and commit to improving how you respond to them.

Just as it took time for anxiety to develop in your psyche, it will take time to heal. That said, anxiety is not a life sentence. It may feel like one, in the moment, but most people underestimate their own ability to heal and grow. Between everyone on our staff, we have over 50 years of experience working in therapy. We know how hard it is to live with anxiety, but we also know how beautiful and empowering it is to find someone you can trust, confide in, and learn real-life skills from.

You may have some concerns about anxiety treatment…

Will therapy cost too much time and money?

It’s good to be cautious about finances, and it’s never wise to overload your schedule. That said, you may want to ask yourself how much time and money is already being wasted on feeling the way you do. If you’re feeling anxious all the time, that in and of itself is going to cost you in ways that therapy won’t. Making a small investment in your emotional well-being now can save you time and money for years to come.

I don’t believe anxiety treatment can actually help me.

Living with anxiety can be debilitating. Over time, as it grows in the psyche, anxiety has a way of making you feel mentally and emotionally stuck. In reality, however, anxiety is anything but permanent; in fact, it’s one of the most treatable mental health issues. Most clients who come to us for anxiety-related problems see productive results after only a few months of counseling. By helping you expand your self-awareness and gain control of your thoughts, we can enrich you to pursue your dreams and improve your sense of self-fulfillment in ways you never imagined.

My anxiety is other people’s fault, not mine.

Oftentimes, anxiety stems from external causes—a stressful current event, a toxic relationship, or early childhood trauma. Even so, that doesn’t mean you can’t find internal relief for your anxiety. You’re not at fault for your stress, but you can take ownership of the healing process by working to overcome the emotional pain that has resulted from these outside causes. Here at Wilmington Psychotherapy, we’re firm believers in owning your own power. You may not be able to change what’s happening outside of you, but you can learn to control your thoughts and emotions in a way that protects you from external stressors.

Don’t Let Anxiety Get In The Way Of Your Fulfillment In Life

Whether you’re struggling with trauma, panic attacks, social anxiety, or stress you can’t even put a name to, our approach to therapy is warm, insightful, and deeply compassionate. To get started, you can call 910-777-1189 for a free 15-minute phone consultation. You can also email us or use the online intake system to schedule an appointment.

Right now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we offer a mix of both telehealth and in-person counseling for anxiety treatment. We’re open to whichever option you prefer.