What You Need To Know About Anxiety Counselling
Posted on: 20 March 2020
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Many people experience anxiety at one point in their life. Anxiety is how you respond to a threat, whether it is real or imagined. While anxiety can help you overcome tense situations and motivate you to work towards your goals, chronic anxiety has negative health consequences. The common signs of anxiety can range from restlessness and nervousness to lack of sleep and shortness of breath. Here is a look at some common forms of anxiety disorders that may require you to go for anxiety counselling.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
A person suffering from OCD has excessive obsessions or unwanted thoughts followed by behaviours meant to reduce anxiety. People with OCD know their thoughts are irrational but still find it difficult to stop them. A good example is where one is concerned about the well-being of a loved one, even though they are safe. A person with excessive OCD is unable to partake in their normal responsibilities.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that is brought about by life-threatening or traumatic events. Examples of traumatic events include being involved in a war, being raped, experiencing the unexpected death of a loved one or experiencing a natural disaster. People with PTSD are constantly in mental shock with intense nightmares and other severe symptoms that get worse with time.
Treatment For Anxiety Disorders
A psychiatrist will employ different approaches when addressing anxiety disorders. For example, there is hypnosis, exposure therapy, and cognitive-behavioural therapy. All of these approaches are aimed at replacing your negative thoughts and influencing your reaction when faced with anxiety-causing experiences. The most popular treatment for anxiety disorders is cognitive-behavioural therapy.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive-behavioural therapy deals with negative thought patterns and the way you perceive the world and yourself. The main components of CBT are cognitive therapy and behavioural therapy. Cognitive treatment is where you determine how negative cognitions are affecting your anxiety, while behavioural treatment is where you learn how to behave and react to situations that cause anxiety.
The general idea of cognitive-behavioural therapy is that your thoughts affect how you feel. Therefore, if you perceive your situation in a different light, you will be able to change how you feel.
Summing It Up
Anxiety counselling is recommended for people who are struggling with anxiety. Although conventional methods such as exercising, meditation and eating healthy can help you cope with anxiety, in some cases, you need to see a psychiatrist. Depending on your condition, your psychiatrist will try and help you identify the cause of your anxiety and how to respond to triggers effectively. Reach out to anxiety counselling services to learn more.