Anxiety Treatment

Does It Feel Like You Can’t Stop Worrying?

• Do you experience racing or obsessive thoughts?
• Are you anxious, stressed out, or overwhelmed?
• Is it difficult to concentrate, be present, or sleep?
• Do you have health problems like GI complaints or frequent headaches?
• Does it feel like nothing you do is ever good enough?

We all experience stress and anxiety but when it takes over your life, it’s distressing and disruptive. Anxiety can make it difficult to sit down, enjoy time with loved ones, accomplish tasks, and get through the day. It can leave you feeling disconnected from what’s going on around you or like you’re constantly failing. Certain situations or places, like social events or going to school, may cause you so much anxiety that you avoid or suffer through them. Panic attacks can leave you feeling like you’re “going crazy” or going to die. No matter how hard you try, you can’t stop worrying or get rid of the anxious thoughts.

Anxiety disorders hijack our bodies and minds. They can affect our health, relationships, and how we live our lives. Simply put, they get in the way of living. When we feel anxious – we will oftentimes try to avoid, distract from, or numb the feeling. It makes sense – no one likes feeling anxious. The problem is that these reactions may help in the moment but they lead to increased anxiety and suffering in the long run, emotionally and physically.

If you could just stop feeling anxious, you’d be able to enjoy time with your family and friends, focus on what’s important to you like school or work, go to social events, rest and relax. You can find peace and freedom and get back to living your life with the help of anxiety treatment.

Anxiety is VERY Common

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorder in the United States. In a given year, 20% of adults will struggle with an anxiety disorder. During their lifetime, 31% of adults will have an anxiety disorder at some point. Teens also struggle – nearly one in three adolescents will meet criteria for an anxiety disorder by the age of 18. And anxiety in teens is on the rise. Both males and females experience anxiety but females are almost twice as likely to have an anxiety disorder*. 

No one chooses to have anxiety. It is also not something you can just turn off – like a lightswitch. Anxiety disorders result from a complex set of factors – including genetic and environmental. Temperament traits, exposure to stressful and negative life events, and a history of anxiety or mental health problems in your family are some of the factors that can lead to developing an anxiety disorder. It’s also common for people who suffer with anxiety to have depression – and vice versa – nearly half of people diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder**.  

Many people with anxiety disorders have co-occurring disorders or physical illnesses that can worsen their symptoms and make overcoming anxiety more difficult. Common co-occurring disorders include eating disorders, substance use disorders, health anxiety, and body dysmorphic disorder. Physical problems that often co-occur with anxiety include headaches, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and serious, chronic, or terminal illnesses**.

The good news is anxiety disorders are highly treatable. Anxiety treatment makes it possible to live your life, fully engaged and present, and pursue the things that are important to you without anxiety getting in the way.

Anxiety Treatment Helps You Live Life More Fully

An anxiety disorder disrupts your life and leaves you feeling weak, powerless, and afraid. At Embrace Strength Counseling, our team helps teens and adults manage and cope with anxiety so it no longer gets in the way of doing the things you want to do. We combine our extensive knowledge and experience treating anxiety disorders with a compassionate, strengths-based approach. Anxiety counseling offers you a safe and empowering space to work towards overcoming anxiety and moving forward with your life.  

In our sessions, we’ll explore how anxiety impacts you and your life and collaborate on how you want to move forward. Anxiety treatment can help you become more aware of what causes your anxiety and offer skills and strategies for coping with anxious thoughts and feelings so you can reconnect with what brings your life meaning and fulfillment. Our anxiety counselors integrate mindfulness-based cognitive and behavioral therapies, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. 

Overcoming anxiety is possible! Our team has a combined total of 20+ years of experience providing anxiety treatment. We know what it’s like to struggle with anxiety and how to not let it get in the way of living. We bring personal and professional knowledge and experience to our work as anxiety counselors. Our therapists at Embrace Strength Counseling would love to support you in finding peace and freedom from anxiety so you can live a full, meaningful life.

But You May Still Have Questions About Anxiety Treatment

If everyone experiences anxiety, why should I get help?

Only a third of people who struggle with anxiety seek help even though it is highly treatable**. It is true that you can “deal with it” on your own. For many of us, that is what we have learned to do. But oftentimes, that means you will struggle and suffer more than you need to when there is help available. If you could “fix” or get rid of your anxiety, you would have done so already – it’s not for lack of trying. 

At Embrace Strength Counseling, our anxiety counselors can offer you a safe and compassionate environment to explore your anxiety and provide you with proven tools and strategies for coping with and managing your anxiety. You don’t have to suffer or struggle alone – we’re here to support you.

What if it’s my anxiety that’s getting in the way of getting support?

Sometimes, anxiety itself gets in the way of seeking anxiety treatment. You may feel anxious about leaving the house or going to a therapist’s office. Just the thought of talking to someone about your anxiety or feeling the feelings may seem scary or distressing. As anxiety counselors, we understand these feelings and will do everything we can to help you feel safe and comfortable in the therapeutic relationship. It’s okay if it takes time for you to trust your therapist, the process, and to open up.  

One of the reasons we offer a free initial 20-minute phone consultation is so we can answer any questions you have prior to starting anxiety treatment. This also gives you the opportunity to gauge your comfort level with the therapist. Do you feel heard and understood? Does it seem like the counselor is someone you could open up to with time and who could help you with your anxiety?

Our team also offers both virtual and in-person anxiety counseling. If you live in Colorado and cannot meet in-person or your anxiety is getting in the way of doing so, we can meet virtually (when appropriate). Another option is Walk & Talk Therapy, because for some people, sitting across from a therapist in an office feels too scary or getting out and moving your body is helpful to your anxiety. You have choices in your anxiety treatment and we’d be happy to explore what would be most supportive to you in overcoming anxiety.

Will therapy make my anxiety worse?

This is a common concern. It is possible that your anxiety will increase when starting anxiety treatment but it is our job as therapists to support you in getting through it. If you’ve been avoiding, numbing, or distracting from your anxiety (which most of us do to some extent) – then it makes sense that when you start talking about your anxiety, the feelings may increase initially. Over time, the feelings will likely decrease. It’s not that anxiety treatment worsens your anxiety itself; it’s that those feelings have been there – stored in your nervous system – and instead of avoiding the feelings you’re leaning into them.

Accepting that anxiety is a part of life and moving through it rather than avoiding it is key to releasing anxiety’s grip on your life. Our team of anxiety counselors can help you do just that and in the long run, anxiety treatment can lead to decreased anxiety. 

You Can Be Liberated From Anxiety

If you would like to schedule an appointment or find out more about how our team of anxiety therapists can support you, please email our director at catherine@embracestrengthcounseling.com or call us at 303.720.9424. We offer a free initial-20 minute phone consultation so we can answer any questions you may have and see if it’s a good fit. 

Sources:

*National Institute of Mental Health (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder.shtml)

**Anxiety and Depression Association of America (https://adaa.org/)

Lisa Mareb, MSW, LCSW, CEDS-S & Catherine Tilford, MA, NCC, LPC, CEDS