Anxiety: How It Impacts Your Life and How Counseling Can Help
Everyone experiences a little anxiety from time to time. It’s a natural reaction to unknown situations, upcoming events, taking tests, performances, and other activities.
For some people, though, it's a chronic issue that impairs daily life. Clinical Social Worker Michelle Jones of Liberty Counseling & Consultation of Reynoldsburg and Columbus, Ohio, shares how counseling can help people experiencing anxiety in the guide below.
Understanding Anxiety
An anxiety disorder is one in which a person experiences excessive, persistent, and intense worry or nervousness. Sometimes it’s triggered by specific things, and sometimes it’s not – depending on the type of anxiety you have. The following are some of the most common types.
- Social anxiety, which can be triggered when in or even thinking about a social situation
- Generalized anxiety, which means that you worry about pretty much anything, even if there is nothing obvious triggering the worry
- Phobias, which are overwhelming fears of events, objects, situations, people, or other factors
- OCD, which creates obsessions such as deep cleaning or in order to avoid something that may or may not happen
- Separation anxiety, which occurs when you are separated or fear becoming separated from specific people or places
Each of these types of anxiety – and many others – can lead to avoidance behaviors, like refusing to leave your home. They can also lead to other issues, such as:
- Depression
- Trouble sleeping
- Headaches
- Digestive issues
- Moodiness
- Trouble concentrating
- Self-esteem issues
- Muscle tension
Many people living with anxiety find that everything from managing regular daily tasks to having fulfilling relationships can be difficult. In some cases, maintaining a job is challenging.
Overcoming Anxiety
Therapy can be a highly effective method for overcoming anxiety and all of its effects. One key element is getting to the root of your anxiety and then working to change the beliefs associated with it. It can also help you change your behaviors related to your anxiety to healthier ones.
Such steps help get to the core of the matter and shift your reaction to it. A therapist can also help you learn relaxation strategies and determine the best lifestyle changes to help you manage your symptoms and improve your general well-being.
For a personalized path to treating and overcoming anxiety, schedule an appointment with Michelle Jones at Liberty Counseling & Consultation of Reynoldsburg and Columbus by calling (614) 321-9298. In-person sessions are available in Reynoldsburg and online sessions are available throughout Ohio.