DEFINITION OF anxiety

Anxiety is an irrational level of discomfort that is often felt as a physical sensation in our bodies when faced with a specific trigger. Specific phobias include being afraid of certain objects, such as spiders or water or social situations. Other times, anxiety is generalized across multiple domains and can be expressed through excessive worry over even the smallest details of our lives. In cases of generalized anxiety, the physical sensations may be less noticeable to you, but the internal thought processes often feel chaotic, spiraling or otherwise out of control. Often times, anxiety can present itself as a co-occurring disorder connected with experiencing trauma or through reinforced depressed thought processes.

symptoms of maladaptive coping to anxiety

Frequent feelings of panic or fear
Tightness in chest or stomach
Spiraling, negativistic thinking patterns
Excessive guilt
Inability to be alone with your thoughts
Avoidance of objects, people or situations that make you feel uncomfortable
Heightened perception of hearing when triggered (everything sounds louder than it is)
General uneasiness most of the time
Shortness of breath
Heart Palpitations
Difficulty sleeping
Frequent nightmares or anxiety dreams that caused fear or discomfort upon waking.
Inability to sit still most of the time
Increased alcohol or substance use to manage discomfort

TREATMENT

Treatment begins with a thorough assessment of the severity of the anxiety and the root cause of the anxiety. It may include a possible referral to adjunctive treatment such as medication evaluation, or more holistic modalities such as going to a nutritionist, yoga or meditation group. Continued treatment focuses on mindfulness training that allows the person to take control of their body and mind when anxiety starts to create difficulties. At Triumph Over Trauma East Bay, I will teach you how change the way that the body and mind interpret the triggers and develop coping skills to reduce the level of discomfort that is felt.