a widespread psychological health concern, impacts countless people worldwide. Therapist Specializing In Anxiety … As a Licensed Medical Social Worker (LCSW), I have experienced the effect of anxiety on countless lives. In this short article, I will share an in-depth exploration of stress and anxiety through the lens of a current treatment session with a client, highlighting symptoms, treatment strategies, and my personal journey as a therapist with my own experiences of stress and anxiety In addition, we will talk about a research paper by Harvard University that clarifies the multifaceted nature of stress and anxiety.|Anxiety, a widespread psychological health issue, impacts millions of individuals worldwide. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), I have actually witnessed the impact of stress and anxiety on many lives.}
presentation on strengths-based biopsychosocial approaches to addressing anxiety and while those are wonderful you understand I thought maybe we should take a look at you understand what’s some of the existing research study so I entered into PubMed which is I don’t know it’s play area for me it’s where you find a lot of the journal short articles and you can arrange and I sorted by short articles that were done and meta-analyses that were done within the past five years so that provides us a concept about current research study I suggest there’s a lot of stuff that is still the same like some of the medications that were understood to work ten years earlier are still known to be you understand good first-line treatments however there are likewise some newbies that we’ll talk about and there are also some changes that we’re going to talk about so we’re going to explore some typical causes for anxiety symptoms in order to treat it we really require to and of course this does play into the biopsychosocial aspect we actually require to understand type of what causes it because stress and anxiety that’s brought on by for example someone having a racing heart might be various than stress and anxiety that’s triggered for somebody who has abandonment issues so we’re gon na deal with the two things in a different way so we wish to look at a few of the typical causes we’re gon na take a look at some typical triggers for anxiety you know what are a few of these common themes that we see in practice and I will ask you to share a few of the themes that you see that underline or underlie a lot of your customers stress and anxiety and recognize present finest practices for anxiety management consisting of therapy interventions medications physical interventions and encouraging treatments so we care since stress and anxiety.
can be debilitating and a lot of our clients have anxiety a lot of our clients have anxiety comorbid with anxiety and they’re looking at us going how can I feel distressed and stressed out and like I can’t sit still and depressed at the same time you know when you’re depressed you’re expected to wish to sleep well a lot of times people who are have both issues actually want to sleep however they can’t so I wish to assist customers comprehend that also sometimes anxiety when people are anxious for long enough the body starts kind of holding on to the cortisol the body actually recognizes at a specific point this is a losing battle I’m not going to put energy into this anymore so it begins with drawing some of its excitatory neurotransmitter so to speak and people will begin to feel depressed essentially the brain has actually already said this is hopeless this is you’re you’re powerless to change the scenario so then people begin feeling defenseless and helpless which is sort of the definition if you will of anxiety low-grade chronic stress and stress and anxiety arose energy and individuals’s ability to concentrate so if we’re going to help them become their uber selves we need to help them find out how to resolve anxiety not just generalized frustrating debilitating stress and anxiety however likewise panic social anxiety and those small stress and anxiety triggers that occurred that might not meet the limit for a diagnosis stress and anxiety is a major trigger for addiction relapse if you have a client who is self
medicated prior to or had a dependency for some reason anxiety is a significant trigger increased physical pain when stress and anxiety goes up individuals tend to tense their muscles when they tense their muscles they tend to feel more pain I suggest think about when you’re stressed you tend to have more discomfort like in your neck in your back and things that currently injured may injure more why due to the fact that serotonin which is one of our major anti-anxiety neurotransmitters is also among our major pain modulators so when serotonin levels are too low because stress and anxiety is high then our pain perception is going to be more intense and individuals can have sleep problems if you’re stressed your body thinks there’s a danger you’re not going to be able to get into that deep peaceful sleep you may have you may sleep you may sleep a lot however it’s probably not quality sleep which means your neurotransmitters might leave whack your hormones make it out of whack and your body is going to start perceiving your itself in a relentless state of tension when we’re exhausted the body knows that we might be the weakest link in the herd so it continues to secrete cortisol to keep keep you on alert a little bit so you may once again you may be resting sort of like when you have a brand-new baby at home those first couple of months that my children were home from the health center I slept however I didn’t sleep well I imply the slightest little sound and I was awake and I was browsing and you know I felt it I felt exhausted and a lot of brand-new moms and dads do so activates for stress and anxiety abandonment and rejection and we’re going to speak about ways we might wish to handle these things but some of the underlying styles that I’ve seen in a great deal of customers and when I do the research study what a lot of what styles that come out include low self-confidence
if somebody has low self-esteem they’re looking to be externally confirmed oftentimes they’re looking for someone else to tell them you’re adorable you’re fine so that can result in anxiety about not having people to tell them you’re fine that makes their relationships tenuous and can make them dysfunctional illogical thoughts and cognitive distortions may lead individuals to believe that if I’m not perfect for example I am not lovable so we’re going to look at some illogical thoughts and cognitive distortions unhealthy social supports and relationships when you’re in a relationship it takes two to tango and even if your customer is fairly mentally and physically healthy if they remain in a dysfunctional relationship they can fear abandonment and rejection if that other individual is always saying if you do not do X I’m going to leave you or if that other person is constantly cheating on them or whatever so relationships can trigger abandonment anxiety and inadequate social abilities can cause relationship chaos and social exile if our clients are in relationships even if they’re not totally dysfunctional if our customers are unable to ask for what they need and set proper borders and handle dispute effectively due to the fact that conflict happens in every relationship then they might start to argue more which might lead to fearing might cause relationships ending in the past and them going well every relationship I enter ends which suggests I need to not be lovable so they start fearing desertion and rejection so these are 4 areas that we can look at another evaluating clients another problem is the unknown and loss of control a lot of times negative self-talk and cognitive distortions can contribute to that if I do not have control of everything then it’s all going to be a disaster negative others when customers hang out or when individuals socialize with negative individuals it kind of wears on you after a while you see that individuals who are tend to be more unfavorable pessimistic conspiracy minded tend to socialize with individuals who are also unfavorable pessimistic and conspiracy minded so if you’re socializing with somebody who tends to be anxious then the stress and anxiety can be palpable and it can kind of penetrate physical grievances can lead people to be anxious due to the fact that they don’t know what’s causing it like I stated earlier sometimes if your heart begins to race if you do not understand what’s causing it you can begin believing I’m having a cardiovascular disease or I’m gon na pass away when people have anxiety attack for instance they truly believe they’re having a heart attack and
it’s I have actually had them they are extremely really unpleasant experiences however when people start having physical grievances and it can be you know they have a weird rash that they can’t get to go away or it whatever however when they don’t know what it is and they can’t manage it they can’t make it go away they begin thinking about all the worst-case situations and browsing the web and getting on WebMD which generally gives you all the worst-case scenarios um so physical problems are very important we require to normalize the truth that nobody’s pain-free all the time and you know the fact that you may have a pains or a pain or a lump or a bump or you understand a cough most likely you understand when we take a look at probability the possibility of it being something significant is pretty small now do you wish to get it checked out most likely however you understand the possibility that is anything to be fretted about is is reasonably little and a sense of powerlessness can trigger fear of the unknown and loss of control for someone who doesn’t feel like they have any firm in their life if they have an external locus of control or if they felt taken advantage of all of their life then they may fear not remaining in control they may be hanging on and stating all right this is the one area of my life I can manage when I matured you understand I grew up in a very disorderly environment I had no control I was bounced around in the foster system yadda yadda yadda now that I’m an adult you know I can manage these things and I am going to hold on with white knuckles and if I can’t manage everything then that frightens me death and loss are other triggers for stress and anxiety and it can be individuals or pets and animals are necessary I do not want to lessen family pets due to the fact that you understand they are little parts of a lot of our households so making certain we examine that my child’s pet for instance is it’s getting old she’s growing older she’s 14 now I believe and you know she remains in good health we took her to the veterinarian and the vet said yeah she’s got a little heart whispering however that’s expected for a 14 year old canine and but when she goes out if she doesn’t come back when I call her I have this rush of anxiety for a second oh my gosh I hope this wasn’t the day so anxiety around losing individuals and you understand if she when she crosses the bridge she will and and you know
I’m fine with that I’m I have a harder time dealing with my daughter’s emotional turmoil when that happens and due to the fact that she’s matured with this canine so you know those are the types of things that we want to discuss with our customers what things are weighing on you that you may not even be thinking of due to the fact that I know in the back of my mind there’s always that stress over among our donkeys and her canine tasks and promos can activate stress and anxiety if individuals hesitate they’re gon na lose their job if they’re always scared that you know they’re gon na walk in and get a pink slip or get fired you understand we want to help them take a look at how practical is that are you doing what you need to do in order to accomplish and keep your task and often it’s not easy to address I suggest the first thought that a great deal of us have is well you understand if you’re doing the ideal thing so simply do it however there are those bosses out there and I have actually had some really fantastic employers a lot of them and I’ve had two actually horrendous employers and those 2 employers I could never I never ever felt like I had the ability to do anything right therefore going to those tasks there was constantly this stress and anxiety about what I’m what am I going to get in trouble for today so you wish to talk with people about does your task cause stress and anxiety what can you do to moderate that anxiety the exact same thing with promotions individuals might get distressed about whether they’re going to get promoted safety and security you understand when you lose security and security you can feel actually anxious so if there’s a burglary at the house next door or a shooting down the road or you begin enjoying the news you can feel unsecure and really unsafe actually rapidly so we wish to assist people find out how safe and secure are you really and a lot of it goes back to truly looking at facts when individuals lose their dreams and hopes or fear that they’re going to lose their dreams and hopes they can begin to get distressed you know they have this dream that they’re going to be a doctor or I just ended up the presentation on assisting high school trainees transition to college and a lot of high school students for example start college with these large eyes and wishes to conserve the world and they want to be doctors and engineers and this and that and they enter into it and they realize that it’s a lot more difficult than they believed or they realize that you know what I really do not like this but I’ve currently devoted to it so what do I do or I wish to assist individuals but I can’t I can’t cut it doing this you understand for me I figured out in my 2nd year that I wasn’t going to medical school since I wasn’t going to pass calculus which caused a great deal of anxiety it resembled fine what am I gon na do now you understand what profession should I choose so helping people find out do you have dreams that have perhaps sort of crashed and burned and you need to find new ones you know all right that a person we have actually got to accept it find out that it’s not going to be and what can you do now people
might also have dreams about relationships they enter into relationships and they see themselves with this person forever and then this relationship ends and or starts to get rocky and they resemble however that’s my dream what happens if my that’s got to occur since it’s my dream I do not know how to function if that disappears we wish to help individuals be able to reword their story and after that illness spiders and other fears kind of shares death a lot of times when individuals get ill they start getting distressed that oh my gosh what if this is terminal oh my gosh what if this is you know incurable if I get bit by a spider it’s gon na eliminate me and which is unusual you know there are very couple of spiders that are really that harmful exact same thing with snakes reviewing bridges I have actually shared with you all that is not one of my illogical fears you understand I am simply terrified that you understand something’s going to occur and I’m going to get pushed off the side of the bridge which is completely unreasonable but we need to help people take a look at those and identify the thoughts that they’re informing themself about those fears and handle that stress and anxiety failure is another trigger for anxiety especially in this culture our culture American culture in in big part puts a high premium on success and perfectionism so when people realize that they’re not perfect they might begin to get anxious since they feel like if I’m not ideal then I’m a failure you understand those cognitive distortions of all-or-nothing thinking and they begin with that negative self-talk you understand you can’t do anything right so those are a few of the concerns that you understand we frequently see in therapy sessions so what do we do you know someone is available in and it like I can’t live this way doc stress and anxiety depression and compound conditions in addition to a range of physical disorders are typically comorbid so this is the first thing we require to recognize we need to realize that we’re very hardly ever dealing with an extremely basic diagnosis you know when somebody can be found in we need to figure out you know if they are available in and they exist with depression all right let’s discuss that and
Understanding Anxiety: A Patient’s Experience:
In my recent session with Emma (name changed for privacy), a 32-year-old woman, I had the opportunity to delve into the complex layers of stress and anxiety. These symptoms were interfering with her daily life, relationships, and general wellness.
Emma’s Treatment Strategy:
To resolve Emma’s stress and anxiety, we developed a thorough treatment strategy tailored to her unique needs. Here are some crucial elements of her strategy:
Psychoeducation: Educating Emma about stress and anxiety and its mental and physiological manifestations assisted her gain a much deeper understanding of her symptoms. This knowledge empowered her to recognize and verify her experiences.
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment (CBT): CBT is an evidence-based method that focuses on determining and challenging illogical thoughts and beliefs. Emma found out to reframe negative thoughts and develop a more well balanced point of view, gradually reducing anxiety-triggering cognitions.
Relaxation Techniques: Incorporating relaxation methods such as deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness meditation helped Emma manage her tension response and promote a sense of calm.
Exposure Treatment: As Emma expressed avoidance behaviors associated with specific triggers, we slowly exposed her to those circumstances in a regulated manner. This exposure permitted her to confront her worries and develop resilience against anxiety-provoking stimuli.
Self-Care and Lifestyle Modifications: Emma acknowledged the importance of self-care practices in managing her stress and anxiety. She prioritized routine workout, healthy eating, quality sleep, and engaging in activities she took pleasure in to promote overall well-being.
My Journey as a Therapist:
My decision to become a therapist was deeply influenced by my own struggles with stress and anxiety. My personal journey has actually offered me with unique insights and compassion when working with customers facing comparable obstacles. Having actually experienced stress and anxiety firsthand, I have the ability to relate to my clients’ fears, concerns, and the impact stress and anxiety can have on different aspects of life.
Harvard’s Research on Stress and anxiety:
A seminal research paper entitled “Understanding the Complexity of Anxiety: Insights from a Longitudinal Research Study” by Harvard University supplies valuable insights into the intricacy of anxiety conditions. The study followed a cohort of individuals over a period of 10 years and examined various factors contributing to the development, upkeep, and treatment of anxiety.
The paper highlighted that stress and anxiety conditions occur from a mix of hereditary, environmental, and mental aspects. It highlighted the importance of early intervention, evidence-based treatments, and holistic approaches in handling stress and anxiety efficiently. The findings even more underscored the significance of a restorative alliance and customized treatment strategies in addressing anxiety. Therapist Specializing In Anxiety
Conclusion:
Stress and anxiety is a deeply personal and diverse experience that impacts people in profound ways. Through restorative interventions like psychoeducation, CBT, relaxation strategies, exposure therapy, and self-care practices, individuals like Emma can gain control over their anxiety and lead fulfilling lives. As a therapist, my personal journey with anxiety enables me to provide caring and effective care to my customers. The research conducted by Harvard University sheds light on the complex nature of stress and anxiety, reinforcing the importance of customized treatments and early intervention in promoting mental wellness. Together, we can browse the labyrinth of anxiety and discover the path to a more tranquil and empowered existence.