Understanding and Managing your Anxiety
In this blog we will talk about anxiety and panic attacks. For most people anxiety and panic attacks can be debilitating and and scary. The first experience of panic attacks may have you thinking if you are experiencing a heart attack! My hope for this blog is for you to understand your anxiety and panic attacks so you are not afraid of it anymore and we will also talk about some effective anxiety treatments.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is more than just feeling stressed or nervous. Anxiety can show up anywhere and anytime. Just like any other mental health issues, anxiety is placed on a continuum. If it’s chronic, you can be diagnosed with anxiety. This diagnosis can be generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety, phobias or panic disorder. Each of them have their own signs and symptoms. If you do not show enough of the signs and symptoms, you may not be diagnosed with anxiety disorder, but that does not mean you do not have it.
While in the moment, anxiety and panic attacks may be scary, you be feel like it is humiliating, and hard to cope with, anxiety is actually a natural response to threats. When there is a threat, your body will go in a protective mode automatically- into a fight or flight mode. This mode is important for survival. But when a threat is perceived or when your body reacts disproportionately to the threat, then it leads to anxiety disorders. What this means is, say you were in a car accident in the past, and now you are watching a movie with a car accident scene, your body is reacting to this as an actual threat for you when it is not.
What are the causes of anxiety?
Anxiety can be caused by different factors:
Genetics: A family history of anxiety increases your chance of getting anxiety.
Brain chemistry: You risk of getting anxiety can increase if there is an imbalance of chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine.
Life experiences: If you have gone through a traumatic event, negative experiences in childhood, if you are currently going through on going stress, that increases you chance of developing anxiety.
Personality Factors: Certain personality traits can cause you to be more anxious than others. Such as being a perfectionist, having negative thinking patterns, looking for the worst or waiting for the next shoe to drop.
Natural ways to decrease anxiety symptoms
Given the causes of anxiety, here are a few ways you can decrease your anxiety symptoms:
If your family has a history of anxiety, you can’t go back in time to change the past. But you can do something about it now. Some examples include journaling, having a support system, understanding family history, and talking to an anxiety therapist to help you work through intergenerational patterns.
To increase your brain chemistry of serotonin and dopamine, a few things you can do is getting enough sleep, having a healthy and balanced nutrition, limiting caffeine and alcohol intake, getting enough physical exercise, and doing things that brings you joy.
If you have experienced traumatic situations in the past or present, it is important that your body and mind are not in survival mode all the time. Some things that can help with that are breathing exercises, mindfulness, grounding exercises, meeting up with friends and family who cares about you, engaging in a physical activity, and doing affirmations.
If you have noticed you have certain personality traits that are causing you to be anxious (like mentioned above), some things you are: are gratitude journalling, affirmations, changing your negative thought into something more helpful, if it is a negative thought and it is true, try coping statements and being kind to yourself.
What does an anxiety therapy sessions looks like.
Let’s talk about some options for therapy for anxiety:
Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety: With CBT, a therapist specializing in anxiety can help you become aware of your current thought patterns and behaviours. The therapist will give you tools to change your thinking into a more adaptive way, which will change your behaviours and emotions.
Holistic therapy for anxiety/ Somatic therapy for anxiety: In somatic therapy, a therapist will work from a body approach to anxiety. This can look like doing breathing exercises, mindfulness, grounding exercises. This will send information to your brain and will tell it that ‘you are safe now, you aren’t in danger’. (Remember anxiety is a natural response to a threat).
IFS therapy for anxiety: In IFS, a therapist will help you look at the different “parts” you carry. There are three main parts. The exiled parts that are created from traumatic experiences and we are afraid to expose and look at. The managers are parts that protect the Self from the exiled parts and keep them hidden. And the firefighters parts that put out strong emotions when the exiled parts get triggered, and help them stay contained. With this definition, the anxiety symptoms you are experiencing can be exiled parts trying to come out and the manager parts goes into a panic mode.
Takeaways
Anxiety and panic attacks are normal and a natural response to threat.
Anxiety and panic attacks becomes an issue when when there is no threat and it’s affecting your daily life and routine.
While medications can help with anxiety, there are natural ways you can manage it.
There is always a reason why you are experiencing anxiety, whether it’s past or ongoing trauma, stress, relationship issues. What is the root cause? A therapist specializing in anxiety can help you figure it out.
Shikha is a therapist/owner of The Therapeutic Way, Counselling and Psychotherapy Services. She is a relationship and relational trauma therapist who works with individuals, couples, and families who have been on the receiving end of narcissistic abuse, gone through trauma, experiencing relationship issues, and experienced attachment wounds as a child or adult. She uses a trauma-informed and holistic approaches to help her clients.
Thinking of therapy? Schedule your free 20 mins consultation call to see how we can help.
For more information reach us at info@thetherapeuticway.ca or call/text (289) 635-4660.
Therapy services: Online Anywhere in Ontario; Hamilton, ON; Burlington, ON, Oakville, ON; Mississauga, ON; Milton, ON.
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Online therapy is as effective as in person therapy. What is most important with any format of therapy is the strong therapeutic relationship between you and your therapist. Online therapy is a good option when coming in-person is not feasible, when you have dependents at home, and it is also more convenient.
At The Therapeutic Way, we offer online therapy and therapy by phone from the convenience of your home. Click here to learn more about our online therapy.
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Not necessarily. Online therapy and in-person therapy are usually the same cost as their effectiveness are the same. Online therapy can also be most cost effective for the client as transportation is not involved. Now, there are therapy apps or programs that area available to clients that are cheaper than traditional therapy. However, the effectiveness of those programs are questionable, and they are most likely not covered by insurance.
At The Therapeutic Way, we offer online therapy with a registered psychotherapist that is covered by most insurance providers and helps you save the cost of transportation.
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There are many different types of therapist that you can choose from. Before reaching out to a therapist, it’s important to know what issue you would like to work on. A tip is to seek out a therapist who specializes the issue and problem you are facing with. For example, if you would like to work on trauma, a therapist who focuses on eating disorders may not be the best fit.
It is also important to decide what type of therapist you are looking for, such as gender, experience, their approaches to therapy, etc. It’s also a good idea to check with your insurance provider which type of therapist they cover. A lot of therapists offer free consultation calls for you to decide they are a right fit.
At The Therapeutic Way, we specializes in relationship issues, relational trauma, narcissistic abuse recovery, and attachment wounds. We work with adults, couples, and families over the age of 16.
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The type of therapy that is best for you, depends on you as a person and the reason you are seeking therapy. There are different types of therapy, such as somatic-based therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, trauma-informed therapies, holistic therapy, existential therapy, and more. The type of therapy that is right for you will depend what you are looking for. While you may have an input in this, majority of the time the therapist will know what is best suited for you and will let you know.
At The Therapeutic Way, we work with clients using an integrative approach to therapy, meaning using different modalities to suit your needs. We use a trauma-informed, holistic, and relational approach to working with you. Click here to learn more.
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The term psychotherapy and counselling are often used interchangeably with some slight differences. Psychotherapy refers to the treatment based for psychological disorders and mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc. Counselling refers to wellness support and providing insights and clarity which leads to growth or personal betterment. At The Therapeutic Way, we provide both psychotherapy and counselling.
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The difference between psychotherapist, psychologist, and psychiatrist, depends on education and scope of practice.
Psychotherapist, psychologist, and psychiatrist can provide therapy called talk therapy.
A psychotherapist can provide therapy under the College of Registered Psychotherapist of Ontario, a psychologist can provide therapy under the College of Psychologists of Ontario, and a psychiatrist can provide therapy under College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.
Difference:
Psychotherapist Education: Master’s Degree or higher
Psychologist Education: PhD or PsyD.
Psychiatrist: MD
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Psychotherapist: Can’t diagnose
Psychologist: Can do assessment and diagnose
Psychiatrist: Can do assessment, diagnose, and prescribe medication
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Psychotherapist Training: Counselling and focus on therapy techniques
Psychologist: Focus on clinical research and assessment
Psychiatrist: Use medical treatment such as prescribing medications for mental health conditions
Before seeking help, it’s important to know what you need and are seeking. A consultation call can help you decide.
At The Therapeutic Way, we are registered psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapist of Ontario.