The Effects of Anxiety
People with anxiety often live in a perpetual state of fear, always on the lookout for danger, whether it is real or imagined. Frequently they’re plagued by uncertainty about the world and themselves. While sometimes they can be haunted by specific memories of past traumatic events—like an accident, assault, a tumultuous childhood or divorce—other times the cause of their fear is not conscious or known. They can become paralyzed by dread, often fearing that what happened in the past can and will happen again. They may also have difficulty falling asleep at night, sometimes staying up until dawn worrying about various life stressors, including but not limited to their ability to succeed, the wellbeing of their children, their love life and their finances.
In addition, many people suffering from anxiety may go to great lengths to avoid particular settings, situations or events. They might avoid public places out of a fear of being judged or criticized by others; it is not uncommon for them to fear the idea of entering into a new partnership, having sexual intimacy or making any long-term commitments. Similarly, many people with anxiety have an unhealthy fear of rejection and will sometimes withdraw from a possible commitment or, if they do enter a relationship, incessantly scrutinize the words, actions and intentions of their partner.
Panic attacks are an intense manifestation of anxiety. In the midst of a panic attack, people experience an impending sense of doom, feel outside of their body and endure dizziness, racing heartbeat, sweating or breathlessness. They might evade public places for fear of the onset of symptoms, leading to even more anxiety. This can cause self-isolation, leading many to feel lonely, forlorn and even depressed. Most people feel helpless in the face of such symptoms; they try to avoid them but can’t control the symptoms on their own.
Anxiety Is One Of The Most Common Mental Health Conditions in the U.S.
Anxiety is a pervasive mental illness, affecting millions of Americans. There’s a reason that the medications for anxiety are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in the U.S.
A little anxiety in life is normal and adaptive and can be a healthy response to danger. Anxiety helps us learn what is dangerous about the world and keeps us from putting ourselves in harm’s way. However, the anxiety response can sometimes go awry, resulting in long-lasting, debilitating sensations of fear. If your anxiety is chronic or interferes with work, relationships or family life, then it would probably be a good idea to consult the guidance of a psychiatrist.
Anxiety Treatment Can Help Mitigate Fear
Like depression, anxiety is a very treatable condition.
Medication can provide relief for the surface symptoms of anxiety, as its effects can be immediate. However, its effects dissipate once it is no longer taken. Traditional psychotherapy, on the other hand, offers a meaningful, long-term solution. Unlike medication, which is very effective in mitigating the symptoms of panic attacks and reducing the fear response, psychotherapy can treat the underlying causes of anxiety and lead to sustained changes.
Every person has his or her own reasons for feeling anxious. Their own history, their own relationships and their own conflicts lead them to feel the way they do. Psychodynamic psychotherapy sessions are aimed at helping patients understand the deeper causes of their anxiety, as many times the reasons for their fears are unconscious; however, it is through working together in treatment—where one’s experiences, present and past relationships and fulfilled and failed aspirations are explored—that the deeper causes of the anxiety can become clearer and long-term change can occur. Also, coping skills frequently improve so that stress is more easily managed and does not develop into debilitating fear.
Through anxiety treatment, you can identify the underlying causes of anxiety, understand the extent to which the past impacts your present state of mind and begin to see how anxiety can cause you to think negatively and anticipate worst-case scenarios. Psychodynamic psychotherapy can mitigate the impact of this debilitating condition and stop fear and apprehension from keeping you from living a more fulfilling life. Whether you’re pushing away the ones you love or are avoiding ways in which you can be more successful, anxiety treatment, through psychodynamic psychotherapy, can help you work toward ways of avoiding self-destructive behavior.
In dynamic psychotherapy, patients will also assess the rationality of their fear. Through the process of talk therapy, many come to realize their fears are based on negative, misguided assumptions about who and what is harmful in the world, which are often based on past painful experiences. In many ways, psychodynamic psychotherapy is about introspection – the knowledge of oneself. It is this through this knowledge that one can overcome self-doubt, apprehension and dread , ultimately reestablishing rationality, intimacy, and productivity to his or her life.
Even when someone might feel ready for anxiety treatment, it is not uncommon to have some ambivalence about seeing a psychiatrist. The following are common concerns people have about beginning the therapy process:
Common Concerns About Anxiety Treatment
Medication choice:
Sometimes, people are anxious to reach out to a psychiatrist for help because they’re worried about going on medication. While I’m a believer in the power of medication to relieve symptoms, I’m also a strong advocate of the sustained effects of therapy. Often I encourage patients to talk and work through their problems in psychotherapy, so that they can eventually function without medication. The decision about starting, adjusting and stopping medication is a process that is best done collaboratively, using the expertise of the psychiatrist and the preference of the patient.
The therapy stigma:
People considering anxiety treatment often worry they’ll be labeled as abnormal. However, anxiety might be more normative than one might think. There are many people all over the world suffering from anxiety. There is a reason why anxiety medications are among the most commonly prescribed types of medication. Also, asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Rather, it attests to foresight and emotional strength, as it takes courage to face one’s fears and vulnerabilities.
Fears about dependency:
In our culture, self-reliance is very much valued. Asking for help can seem dependent or needy, which can lead many to avoid dealing with problems that need attention. If an individual needed treatment for cancer, he or she wouldn’t refuse medical attention out of a desire for self-reliance. Emotional health shouldn’t be treated any differently, and suffering should definitely be avoided if it is unnecessary.
Free Phone Consultation
Anxiety is very much treatable. Call me at (212) 254-3145 for a 15-minute phone consultation, at no cost. We can discuss symptoms and any questions about anxiety treatment and my practice.