Anxiety takes on many forms.
Social anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, existential anxiety, generalized anxiety - no matter what form it takes, anxiety feels pretty awful. You might feel constant tension, or frequently nauseous. Each of these anxiety disorders feels a little different, but they can all hold you back from living life to the fullest. Maybe you are always on edge, waiting for the dam to break and the panic to sweep over you. Or you might just have an underlying feeling all the time that something bad is going to happen, or that life is dreadful for no reason. Your mind might be racing and you can’t focus on anything without getting distracted by painful thoughts. There are specific fears too, like what if someone judges me? What if I’m rejected? What if I fail? Anxiety is a shape shifter, but the root of it is always the same.
You CAN Overcome Anxiety - Mike’s Experience and Tips for Recovering from Anxiety Disorders
Symptoms of Anxiety that respond to Counseling
First of all, you should know that everyone’s anxiety looks different. When you come to counseling, we will treat you as an individual and try to understand your unique experience of anxiety. However, there are some general symptoms of anxiety that indicate you might need professional help. Below is a list of anxiety symptoms. If you experience some or all of these, it may be time to come in for therapy.
Feeling out of control due to anxiety
Constant worry
Racing thoughts
Fatigue/Sleep problems/Lack of sleep
Lack of appetite
Panic, fear and uneasiness
Avoiding places, things or people
Tense muscles
Headaches
Feeling agitated
Restlessness
Difficulty concentrating
Irritability
These are all symptoms of anxiety that respond really well to the therapy interventions we use. These are annoying symptoms that are holding you back. But they don’t have to. You deserve to be able to fully engage in your own life. Therapy can help you regain control of your life.
There is nothing wrong with you.
It might feel like there is. In fact, your anxiety is telling you there is something wrong with you. Your anxiety can be really extreme and all consuming, so your mind begins to tell you that something is wrong. Anxiety and panic attacks can be incredibly limiting, frustrating and even scary. If you are struggling with anxiety, it means that the natural defense mechanism of your brain is working overtime. Therapy provides the supportive environment you need along with concrete tools to help manage anxiety and break the patterns that have gotten your brain worked up. You can get back control and manage your anxiety. Counseling can help.
““Working with Mike I’ve gone from having a panic attack every time I leave the house to confidently taking the subway alone. It’s phenomenal to have my freedom back. Mike is patient, empathetic, and knowledgeable.””
You can find freedom from anxiety through counseling.
The good news is that anxiety is extremely well understood nowadays. We can pinpoint why and how people suffer so much from it, and there are several proven methods for recovering from even the most severe anxiety disorders. The simple truth is that counseling works as an anxiety treatment. People who come to our Asheville, NC counseling office for anxiety get better. We’ve seen other people find freedom from anxiety and begin to experience life fully again. We want you to find that same freedom.
We are well trained in evidence-based therapies for anxiety. More importantly, Mike (the founder of Strive On Counseling) has been through anxiety disorders himself. We understand anxiety from the inside out. “I know what has worked for me, and I have watched the same things work for my clients. It really can get better.” -Mike
Learn practical tools for overcoming anxiety.
There are two parallel paths that anxiety therapists should be walking you down. The first is support and exploration. When coming in for anxiety treatment, you want a therapist who is a confidant. Someone you know will always be caring and supportive no matter what you want to reveal or what ideas you want to explore. You should be comfortable sharing your thoughts, beliefs and anxious feelings with your therapist.
The second path that your therapist will be balancing is that of practical problem solving. In anxiety treatment, you and your therapist work together to answer the question, “What can you actually do to change your situation and make progress on the issues that brought you into therapy?” A lot of therapists are good at the first path, but forget to focus on the second one. And you need this second path. You are looking to balance both the acceptance of the first path with the real change of the second.
You’ll learn new tools in our counseling sessions
We try to make sure clients are getting both that supportive understanding AND the practical tools when they come into our counseling office for anxiety treatment. We’re happy to spend as much time as you need listening and supporting, but then when you’re ready we need to roll up our sleeves and get down to business. We can teach you techniques and tools for learning to cope with anxiety and reduce the suffering it causes. We will incorporate mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) into our sessions so that you have specific tools to use to manage your anxiety. These tools come not just from professional training, but from personal experience recovering from an anxiety disorder. We have tried all of these ourselves and can vouch for their efficacy. If you really want to get through your anxiety, learning new coping strategies is your best bet.
Begin Anxiety Treatment in Asheville, NC
You don’t have to struggle alone with panic attacks, constant nausea, fear or the many other forms and symptoms of anxiety. You can learn how to overcome and manage anxiety with the help of a skilled anxiety therapist. If you would like to experience new freedom in your life, we offer anxiety therapy at our Asheville counseling office, or online via teletherapy.
If you would like a free phone consultation, call (828) 407-0074, or email StriveOnCounseling@gmail.com.
Anxiety Quick Tips
Other Mental Health Services Available at Strive On Counseling
As Asheville therapists, we understand that every individual has a unique set of mental health needs. Therefore, we offer many services and forms of therapy. More specifically, our services include individual counseling, anxiety treatment, EMDR trauma therapy, therapy for men’s issues, mindfulness, buddhist counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, teletherapy / online therapy. Some other resources we offer include guided meditations, supplements, a list of books and other useful resources, and online courses. If you would like more information about any of these services, please reach out today, and start doing therapy in North Carolina!