Anxiety: The bread and butter of therapy
Therapy has massive benefits for anxiety in the way of exploring what you are unaware of, identifying unresolved conflicts from the past, and understanding how these affect your current behaviour and emotions.
This is because we all have feelings that make us anxious. This is the bread and butter of therapy!
Our therapeutic relationship involves considering your early life experiences, including your significant relationships, and patterns of thought that may be contributing to your anxiety. By bringing awareness to what you were previously unaware of, you can gain insight into your anxiety, work through your internal conflicts, and develop healthier ways of coping.
We can never 100% ‘get rid’ of anxiety. However, we can certainly help to make it more manageable by building your capacity to tolerate anxiety.
What are your sabre-tooth tigers?
The historical significance of anxiety is deeply rooted in the human experience and can be traced back to our earliest ancestors.
The primal emotion of fear, which would have been felt by a caveman encountering a sabre-toothed tiger, is a fundamental survival mechanism.
This fear response is immediate and visceral, activating the body’s alarm system before the conscious mind even has time to process the threat.
The physical sensations—rapid heartbeat, tense muscles, heightened alertness—are the same bodily responses we experience with modern-day anxiety.
Our fear response
This instinctual reaction is part of the body’s non-conscious warning and danger detection system, designed to protect us from harm.
The fear response, including anxiety, is not just an emotional state but a complex physiological process that begins in the brain and spreads throughout the body.
When faced with danger, the brain’s amygdala triggers a cascade of hormones that prepare the body to either fight, flee, or freeze.
This is the ‘fight or flight’ response, which has been preserved throughout evolution because of its importance in survival.
Our body knows…
Even though the threats we face today are different from those of our ancestors, the anxiety response remains the same.
We often feel anxiety in our bodies before our minds have fully recognised the danger.
For example, we might feel a knot in our stomach or a racing heart before we’re consciously aware of feeling anxious or identifying the cause of our anxiety.
This is because anxiety operates on a subconscious level, alerting us to potential threats and preparing our bodies to respond, even if the threat is not as immediate or tangible as a predator like the sabre-toothed tiger.
Anxiety, it’s really normal!
Understanding the historical and evolutionary context of anxiety helps us recognise it as a natural and essential part of the human condition, one that has played a crucial role in our survival as a species.
It also underscores the importance of managing anxiety in a way that is appropriate for the challenges we face in the modern world, where the sources of stress are often more psychological than physical.
WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY ABOUT WORKING WITH ME
Kind words
“Rick, Thank you for all that you've done working with me. I think getting to discuss things with you was truly so healing and helped me develop my emotional intuition more. For that, I cannot thank you enough”
AFTER 4 MONTHS OF WORKING ON INTIMACY AND RELATIONSHIP ISSUES
“Rick has been incredibly supportive and understanding throughout our sessions. His professionalism and empathy have created a safe space for me to explore my thoughts and feelings. I highly recommend Rick to anyone seeking compassionate and effective online therapy”
AFTER 7 MONTHS OF WORKING ON HISTORICAL FAMILY ISSUES
“Over the past few months Rick and I worked together to tackle lots of historic issues that had continued to effect my life right up until I began therapy! He taught me a great deal about acceptance. The whole process was a real pleasure and has left me in a position I could not have imagined 6 months ago. For that I cannot thank him enough”
AFTER 10 MONTHS OF WORKING ON HISTORICAL FAMILY ISSUES, FATHERHOOD AND LIFE CHANGES
The biology of anxiety
Anxiety can manifest through various physical symptoms as it is discharged through the body, primarily involving the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. These two systems are part of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which regulates involuntary physiological functions.
The sympathetic nervous system
When we experiences anxiety, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is activated, initiating the ‘fight or flight’ response.
This response prepares your body to either confront or flee from perceived threats.
Physiological changes include an increased heart rate, rapid breathing, dilation of the pupils, and redirection of blood flow from the digestive system to the muscles.
These reactions are accompanied by symptoms like sweating, trembling, and a sense of urgency or impending doom.
The para-sympathetic nervous system
In contrast, the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) works to counterbalance the effects of the SNS.
After the perceived threat has passed, the PNS promotes a ‘rest and digest’ state, which conserves energy as it slows the heart rate, increases intestinal and gland activity, and relaxes sphincter muscles in the gastrointestinal tract.
The somatic nervous system
When anxiety is well-regulated, it means that our body’s response to stress is proportionate and not overwhelming. In this state, our body may discharge anxiety through our somatic nervous system which is which is responsible for voluntary movements and the relay of sensory information to the central nervous system.
These symptoms can include:
Muscle tension: Anxiety can cause muscles to contract and become tense. This is a natural part of the body’s fight-or-flight response.
Sighing: Deep sighs can be a sign of the body trying to relieve tension. Sighing helps to reset the respiratory system and can be a way to bring more oxygen into the body.
Why is all of this important in therapy?
In my practice I have sadly come to find when discussing previous therapies during an initial appointment with a new client. It appears they dropped out of therapy prematurely because the therapist overlooked or disregarded their anxiety and instead was all too enthusiastic to explore their feelings around coming to therapy - which only raised their anxiety! Because it’s therapy and we’re supposed to talk about feelings right?…
Therefore…
Although it is natural and normal to feel anxious on the run up to a therapy appointment.
It is natural for us to address any feelings of anxiety straight away.
This involves encouraging you to check in with your anxiety, discussing it openly, and becoming aware of the physical sensations associated with your emotional states.
Here is why…
When we experience incoming painful or difficult feelings, anxiety rises!
So then…
It is crucial to regulate your anxiety to ensure that it doesn’t obstruct our early therapeutic process.
By maintaining a regulated state of anxiety, we can explore your feelings more deeply and effectively. This opens the gateway for you to experience your emotions fully, without the interference of overwhelming anxiety.
So we can be present!
These practices can help you to recognise and address your early signs of anxiety, enabling you to stay present and engaged during our therapy sessions.
Throughout therapy we aim to expand your ‘window of tolerance’ — the range within which you can experience and process emotions.
This involves identifying triggers, understanding your body’s responses, and developing strategies to manage anxiety. By doing so, you can learn to navigate your emotional landscape without being overwhelmed, leading to a more profound and transformative therapeutic experience.
The purpose is to empower you to manage your anxiety effectively, so we can explore you feelings and the underlying issues that contribute to your anxiety. So you don’t have to feel as anxious.
Remember, you’re not alone…
ELEMENTS OF MY PRACTICE
Find Some Answer's
-
Key facts
Anxiety disorders are the world’s most common mental disorders, affecting 301 million people in 2019.
More women are affected by anxiety disorders than men.
Symptoms of anxiety often have onset during childhood or adolescence.
There are highly effective treatments for anxiety disorders.
Approximately 1 in 4 people with anxiety disorders receive treatment for this condition.
Overview
Everyone can feel anxious sometimes, but people with anxiety disorders often experience fear and worry that is both intense and excessive. These feelings are typically accompanied by physical tension and other behavioural and cognitive symptoms. They are difficult to control, cause significant distress and can last a long time if untreated. Anxiety disorders interfere with daily activities and can impair a person’s family, social and school or working life.
An estimated 4% of the global population currently experience an anxiety disorder (1). In 2019, 301 million people in the world had an anxiety disorder, making anxiety disorders the most common of all mental disorders (1).
Although highly effective treatments for anxiety disorders exist, only about 1 in 4 people in need (27.6%) receive any treatment (2). Barriers to care include lack of awareness that this is a treatable health condition, lack of investment in mental health services, lack of trained health care providers, and social stigma.
Symptoms and patterns
People with an anxiety disorder may experience excessive fear or worry about a specific situation (for example, a panic attack or social situation) or, in the case of generalized anxiety disorder, about a broad range of everyday situations. They typically experience these symptoms over an extended period – at least several months. Usually they avoid the situations that make them anxious.
Other symptoms of anxiety disorders may include:
trouble concentrating or making decisions
feeling irritable, tense or restless
experiencing nausea or abdominal distress
having heart palpitations
sweating, trembling or shaking
trouble sleeping
having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom.
Anxiety disorders increase the risk for depression and substance use disorders as well as the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours.
There are several different kinds of anxiety disorders, including:
generalized anxiety disorder (persistent and excessive worry about daily activities or events);
panic disorder (panic attacks and fear of continued panic attacks);
social anxiety disorder (high levels of fear and worry about social situations that might make the person feel humiliated, embarrassed or rejected);
agoraphobia (excessive fear, worry and avoidance of situations that might cause a person to panic or feel trapped, helpless or embarrassed);
separation anxiety disorder (excessive fear or worry about being separated from people with whom the person has a deep emotional bond);
specific phobias (intense, irrational fears of specific objects or situations that lead to avoidance behaviour and significant distress); and
selective mutism (consistent inability to speak in certain social situations, despite the ability to speak comfortably in other settings, primarily affecting children).
People may experience more than one anxiety disorder at the same time. Symptoms often begin during childhood or adolescence and continue into adulthood. Girls and women are more likely to experience an anxiety disorder than boys and men.
Contributing factors and prevention
Anxiety disorders, like other mental health conditions, result from a complex interaction of social, psychological and biological factors. Anyone can have an anxiety disorder, but people who have lived through abuse, severe losses or other adverse experiences are more likely to develop one.
Anxiety disorders are closely related to and affected by physical health. Many of the impacts of anxiety (such as physical tension, nervous system hyperactivity or harmful use of alcohol) are also known risk factors for diseases such as cardiovascular disease. In turn, people with these diseases may also find themselves experiencing anxiety disorders due to the difficulties associated with managing their conditions.
Effective community based approaches to prevent anxiety include parental education and school-based programmes to enhance social and emotional learning and build positive coping in children and adolescents. Exercise programmes can also be effective in preventing anxiety disorders in adults.
Diagnosis and treatment
There are several effective treatments for anxiety disorders. People with symptoms of anxiety should seek care.
Psychological interventions are essential treatments for anxiety disorders and refer primarily to talk therapy with professionals or supervised lay therapists. These interventions can help people learn new ways of thinking, coping or relating to their anxiety, to others or to the world. They can teach people how to face the situations, events, people or places that trigger their anxiety.
Psychological interventions can be provided to individuals or groups, in person or online. They may also be accessed through self-help manuals, websites and apps. The psychological interventions with the most evidence for treating a range of anxiety disorders are those based on principles of cognitive-behavioural therapy. These include exposure therapy, during which people learn to face their fears.
In addition, learning stress management skills, such as relaxation skills and mindfulness skills, can help reduce symptoms of anxiety disorders.
Antidepressant medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), can also be useful in treating adults with anxiety disorders. Health-care providers should keep in mind the possible adverse effects associated with antidepressant medication, the ability to deliver either intervention (in terms of expertise, and/or treatment availability), and individual preferences.
Benzodiazepines, which have historically been prescribed for anxiety disorders, are generally not recommended for anxiety disorders because of their high potential for dependence as well as their limited long-term effectiveness.
Self-care
Self-care can play an important role in supporting treatment. To help manage your symptoms of anxiety and promote your overall well-being, you can:
avoid or cut down on alcohol and don’t use illicit drugs, which can make anxiety worse;
exercise regularly, even if it’s just a short walk;
stick to regular eating and sleeping habits as much as possible and eat a healthy diet;
learn relaxation techniques, such as slow breathing and progressive muscle relaxation; and
develop the habit of mindfulness meditation, even if it’s just a few minutes per day.
-
Talk to someone you trust add. Talking to someone you trust about what's making you anxious could be a relief
Try to manage your worries
Look after your physical health
Try breathing exercises
Keep a diary or journal
Complementary and alternative therapies
-
Feelings, because they make us anxious...
-
Exhaustion or a build-up of stress.
Lots of change or uncertainty.
Feeling under pressure while studying or in work.
Long working hours.
Being out of work.
Money problems.
Housing problems and homelessness.
Worrying about the environment or natural disasters (sometimes called climate anxiety or eco-anxiety)
-
Dealing with anxiety can be difficult. But even though there's no cure, there are many good treatments that can help you feel better. If you have anxiety, talk with your therapist. They can help you find what works well for you, your lifestyle, and your unique symptoms.
-
Feeling tense, nervous or unable to relax. having a sense of dread, or fearing the worst.
-
Anxiety disorders can cause rapid heart rate, palpitations, and chest pain. You may also be at an increased risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. If you already have heart disease, anxiety disorders may raise the risk of coronary events.
-
Anxiety can be caused by: Certain health issues, such as asthma, chronic pain, diabetes, drug withdrawal, heart disease, hyperthyroidism or irritable bowel syndrome. Chronic stress. Drug or alcohol abuse.
-
Counselling can be incredibly helpful for managing anxiety. Here’s how it can make a difference:
Exploring Causes: A counsellor helps you delve into the root causes of your anxiety. By understanding these triggers, you gain insights into why you feel anxious and how to address it.
Coping Strategies: Counselling equips you with practical coping strategies. These tools empower you to handle anxiety more effectively, whether through relaxation techniques, thought reframing, or problem-solving skills.
Self-Awareness: Through counselling, you develop self-awareness. Recognising patterns of negative thoughts or irrational fears allows you to challenge them and create healthier mental habits.