Anxiety is a natural state of existence. As part of our survival, the "fight, flight or freeze" response is ingrained in our behaviours. However, when anxiety becomes one of the predominant emotional states getting support and assistance can be profoundly beneficial.
Individuals experiencing ongoing anxiety may notice that they are caught in constant worry, stress, nervousness, panic, or the desire to withdraw or disengage or find themselves more easily irritable and engaging in conflict. Sometimes it's easy to pinpoint a specific trigger to what caused these feelings, and other times it might be hard to understand what led you to feel this way.
Some types of anxiety include
Generalized anxiety (a relatively constant unsettling feeling that regularly interferes with your day-day activities)
Social anxiety (fear of engaging with and interacting with other people, usually associated with a fear of being judged, watched, or "not good enough")
Specific phobias (such as dogs, spiders, flying, and public speaking)
Separation anxiety (fears of abandonment, fears of ongoing distress in the absence of a partner/family member/loved one or concerns or constant worry of other individuals' states or wellbeing)
Panic disorder (recurrent experiences of panic attacks on an ongoing fear of another occurring)
Working with a counsellor who understands anxiety can be critical in developing tools and knowledge for how to manage and respond to these feelings.
For more information on anxiety:
Commenti