Understanding the Different Types of Anxiety
Anxiety may disrupt your daily activities and general well-being with constant and excessive worry and fear. An increasing number of people, especially young people, say that their fear and anxiety levels have been rising over the last few years. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, anxiety disorders affect 4.6% of the population.
Williamson & Associates is a trusted resource for support and counselling. Our counsellors are dedicated to helping those experiencing anxiety navigate their challenges and improve their quality of life.
Exploring Different Types of Anxiety
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Do you feel restless and irritable most of the time? Do you worry about everything, even knowing your feelings are disproportionate to the circumstances? Are you experiencing ongoing muscle tension and difficulty concentrating? Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is marked by persistent and excessive worry about various aspects of life. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) can disrupt daily functioning and diminish the quality of life by experiencing chronic worry and tension, even without specific triggers.
Potential causes of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) include genetic factors, imbalances in neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which regulate mood and anxiety, ongoing adversity or trauma.
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
People who experience social anxiety disorder (SAD) typically struggle with an intense fear of social situations and scrutiny by others. If you experience social anxiety disorder (SAD), you may feel overwhelmed by fear of judgment and criticism. You might feel significant distress in social settings and be easily embarrassed and overwhelmed. This intense fear can lead you to avoid social settings, impacting your ability to connect in social and professional contexts, challenging your relationships and personal growth.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is characterized by sudden, intense attacks of fear accompanied by physical sensations like palpitations, sweating, and shortness of breath, along with confusion, dizziness, and a feeling of losing control. These attacks, often triggered by stress or phobias, are brief yet disorienting. Due to their unpredictable and abrupt nature, these episodes may exacerbate your anxiety, leaving you feeling extremely exhausted.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is marked by obsessions (intrusive thoughts, impulses, or pictures) and compulsions (repetitive behavioural or mental acts undertaken to relieve anxiety).
If you experience obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), your obsessions may include fears of contamination, which lead to compulsions such as obsessive cleaning, as well as rituals such as repetitive checking and behaviours focusing on ordering and arranging each thing precisely. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can impact your daily functioning, relationships, and well-being.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may develop after you've been exposed to a traumatic event such as combat, sexual violence, natural disasters, or serious accidents. Common PTSD symptoms include intrusive memories, nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, and emotional numbness. Not everyone who has experienced trauma experiences PTSD. The risk for developing PTSD is greater if you are hurt, witness others hurt, feel helpless, if you have already been exposed to trauma, and if you have minimal social support.
The Role of Therapy in Managing Anxiety
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Somatic Experiencing (SE) are among the most effective therapies for anxiety disorders.
Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) for individuals (EFIT), couples counselling (EFCT) or family therapy (EFFT) addresses emotional and relational aspects of anxiety. Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) reduces shame, supports the development of a positive self-image and fosters emotional resilience and regulation. Your emotionally focused therapist will help you develop emotional awareness and better understand your emotional responses in situations that provoke anxiety. Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) also helps people build secure and trusting relationships, which is crucial if you experience anxiety and a sense of control over their lives, making it a useful treatment for anxiety and PTSD..
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) focuses on processing traumatic memories through bilateral stimulation, assisting in the integration of these experiences. Anxiety often serves as an alarm indicating potential danger, so Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy can help identify and address this danger. The Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) approach connects current anxiety symptoms to negative beliefs and unresolved past events, helping you transform these beliefs and process trauma memories. Your Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist will take into account your cultural and personal context throughout the counselling process, working closely to develop coping mechanisms and provide a supportive therapy environment.
Furthermore, Somatic Experiencing (SE) encourages the discharge of trauma from the body through techniques like sensation tracking and pendulation, boosting your ability to regulate your nervous system and feel safer in your environment. Moreover, by observing and gently adjusting your bodily sensations associated with anxiety, Somatic Experiencing (SE)helps you release pent-up tension and restore your autonomic nervous system to a more balanced state, consequently reducing your anxiety.
Anxiety Counselling in Olds, Alberta
Anxiety can impact your life in various ways. Contact Williamson & Associates if you are ready to take control of your anxiety and start a journey toward a healthier, happier life. Contact us today.