Counseling to heal the root cause of anxiety
Can you imagine your life without crippling anxiety symptoms?
The truth is, anxiety is something that all humans experience. It’s even helpful at times. Anxiety experts consider anxiety to be an important adaptive function in our emotional lives and our survival. But when it takes over your life and gets out of control, it’s time to find a counselor to help you manage your symptoms of anxiety.
When we take on a new challenge or when a challenge is presented to us, a certain amount of anxiety can be expected, which can be useful. That’s not the kind of anxiety that needs to be treated with anxiety therapy. Unfortunately, it can be hard to sort out just when anxiety is helpful and just when it calls for anxiety therapy. We help you learn concrete techniques in anxiety counseling for managing symptoms as they show up in your life. This includes becoming skilled at recognizing triggers, identifying the process of anxiety as it’s building, and making changes in thoughts and behavior, this may include changing your breathing, corrective self-talk, creating distractions, adding movement or exercise, or reaching out to a friend who can give you some temporary support.
The therapists at Integrative Psychotherapy Montana are anxiety experts and have a lot of experience working with adults and college students who struggle with anxiety, whether it’s general anxiety, panic disorder, or social anxiety. We can help you sort out what’s a helpful amount of anxiety, and when it’s become problematic. Anxiety symptoms are a common reason people seek counseling.
So what’s it like to struggle with anxiety? Do you live in a state of constantly feeling “on edge” and worried that your life will fall apart? Do you find yourself going to the worst-case scenario, instead of a more realistic response? Are you afraid to allow yourself to be happy and live in the moment because you think things will most certainly fall apart? Struggling with anxiety can rob you of joy and keep you from enjoying the blessings in your life. When anxiety is a constant in your life, it is called Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Other anxiety-related problems include panic attacks, separation anxiety, social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress that happen in response to specific triggers or experiences. Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCS, is another type of anxiety and is marked by persistent invasive thoughts or compulsions to carry out specific behaviors (such as hand-washing). Much of the time, anxiety in any form is accompanied by depression.
Anxiety counseling can help you develop perspective and more helpful coping skills. This will result in the ability to better manage anxiety in the future as you build natural resilience and resources. At Integrative Psychotherapy Montana, we feel strongly that counseling should get to the root cause of your anxiety, and that leads to lasting healing. Identifying your symptoms of anxiety is the start of finding the root cause. If you are suffering from anxiety I look forward to the chance to work with you to create a life you can enjoy.
How to know if you would benefit from therapy for anxiety:
You are frequently annoyed, irritable, and agitated
You tremble or shake
You experience changes in your breathing or heart rate
You experience abdominal distress, nausea, or vomiting
You cannot relax and constantly need to busy yourself
You find yourself avoiding situations
You worry about what others think of you
You feel uncomfortable in social situations
You worry about bad things happening, such as natural disasters or getting sick
You find yourself struggling to focus and concentrate
You struggle with insomnia, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
You don’t feel rested the next day
You are unable to calm your restless, worried mind
You have symptoms of panic
There are more ways that anxiety presents itself, but If you relate to some of these things, you might be struggling with anxiety. Out bozeman, montana therapists can help you live better with less anxiety…
Anxiety can make you feel like things are about to spiral out of control at the drop of a hat. You feel overwhelmed, powerless, and on edge all the time. Anxiety leaves you feeling struggling to make decisions, be productive, concentrate on tasks, or relax after a long day of work. Anxiety can also take a toll on your relationships and make you less patient, less understanding, and more irritable than normal.
Anxiety is rooted in an unrealistic fear that makes us worry that the things that are important to us will fall apart. Our fears exist to cue us into the feeling that something doesn’t feel right. However, anxiety does more than that – it turns our fear into worries that we can’t control and can even morph the worry into panic. Anxiety can feel like a flood of thoughts and feelings, or like something bad is always looming in the background. It can make life harder than it needs to be, and we are here to help you learn to cope with it.
What are some common symptoms of anxiety?
Anxiety symptoms can vary widely from person to person, but here are some typical symptoms that people may experience:
Physical Symptoms:
Rapid heartbeat
Sweating
Trembling or shaking
Shortness of breath or feeling out of breath
Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
Tightness or pain in the chest
Upset stomach, nausea, or diarrhea
Muscle tension or aches
Feeling restless or on edge
Emotional Symptoms:
Feeling nervous, anxious, or tense
A sense of impending danger, panic, or doom
Difficulty concentrating or focusing
Irritability
Feeling like your mind has gone blank
Trouble sleeping or staying asleep
Avoiding situations that make you feel anxious
Behavioral Symptoms:
Avoiding situations or places that trigger anxiety
Seeking reassurance from others
Performing repetitive behaviors (compulsions)
Difficulty making decisions
Procrastination or avoiding tasks
Increased use of substances (alcohol, drugs) to cope
Cognitive Symptoms:
Excessive worry or overthinking
Racing thoughts
Catastrophizing (expecting the worst)
Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank
Intrusive thoughts or images
These symptoms can range from mild to severe and can interfere with daily life, relationships, work, and overall well-being. It's important to note that anxiety disorders are common and treatable, and seeking help from a mental health professional can make a significant difference in managing symptoms and improving quality of life.
Can you imagine a life without anxiety?
Therapy can be a positive experience for individuals managing anxiety. Whether anxiety is a new symptom or you’ve had it for a long time, counseling can help you develop the skills to better manage your life now and circumstances in the future. Expert therapy can help you tame anxiety symptoms, leading to a calmer, happier, and more satisfying life. Your world will naturally expand rather than contract. At Integrative Psychotherapy Montana, we use a variety of techniques such as mindfulness, acceptance, CBT skills, EMDR, and solution-focused therapy, as examples. When anxiety symptoms cannot be comfortably managed or reduced, medication can be helpful. Reach out to a professional mental health expert to help you live the life you desire.
Our psychologists and counselors are very skilled at helping you address the problems that bring you to counseling. We use very effective therapies that empower clients by teaching them how to change the patterns in thinking, behavior, or emotional responses that cause distress, so they can improve the quality of their lives. Send us an email today and get started working with a therapist at Integrative Psychotherapy Montana. We are dedicated to helping you get better and resolve your mental health concerns.
About Integrative Psychotherapy & Mind Body. Medicine Montana
Integrative Psychotherapy Montana is a collective of experienced heart-centered and neuroscience-based psychologists and psychotherapists who provide evidence-based therapy as well as mindfulness and somatic practices. They are based in Bozeman Montana and practice locally and throughout Montana virtually. The clinicians offer a range of psychological services provided by licensed practitioners at the doctoral and master levels, with additional advanced training in many therapeutic modalities. We provide individual, relationship family therapy and EMDR intensive services to adults and couples, and specialize in areas such as trauma, PTSD, addiction, depression, anxiety, stress, emotion regulation skills, relationship conflict, loss, divorce, and life transitions. We accept most forms of insurance. Schedule today!