“Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going.
No feeling is final.”
– Rainer Maria Rilke
Maybe you’re feeling “on edge”, fearful or irritable. Perhaps things you used to do without much thought, seem overwhelming. Maybe you find yourself constantly preparing for the next challenge around the corner, so much so that you’ve lost sight of enjoying the moment. Or perhaps you find yourself avoiding activities, people, and situations. You just might be coping with anxiety.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2019, “Mental Health Information: Statistics: Any Anxiety Disorder”), anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues affecting Americans today. Approximately 19% of people will experience anxiety within a given year; while, an estimated 31% of individuals will experience some kind of anxiety disorder within his/her lifetime. And yet, there are many effective treatments for these concerns.
Anxiety can manifest in many different ways (e.g., obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety, agoraphobia, or other specific phobias). Here’s a list of anxiety symptoms which are common to many of the anxiety disorders.
Do you relate to any of the following symptoms?
Obsessions (i.e., disturbing and/or repetitive thoughts that you can’t seem to get out of your mind); replaying memories of embarrassment, humiliation or losses and difficulties; a mental preoccupation with safety concerns; a mental focus on a self that is flawed, vulnerable and/or incapable; mental rehearsals of possible future difficulties or encounters; a belief that others have it more “together” than you do.
Irritability; agitation/feeling “keyed up” or “on edge”; intense fear; difficulty relaxing or accessing a sense of calm, peace or security; experiencing a sense of impending doom; feelings of shame; feeling “out of control”; exhaustion; easy startle response.
Reducing the frequency and intensity of activities you once found pleasurable; increased use of substances or other self-soothing, compulsive behaviors (e.g., binge eating, uncontrollable sexual activity); engagement in general compulsions (e.g., checking things, washing hands, pre-occupation with orderliness/rigidity); frequently finding yourself “checking out” during the day due to overwhelm; increased time spent housebound or bed-bound; engaging in self-harm; disturbance of appetite (e.g., eating more than usual or significantly less than usual); disturbance of sleep (e.g., increased need for sleep, difficulty falling or staying asleep); not performing as well, as you used to, at work, school or at home; difficulty keeping pace with previous level of energy/activity; a significant and persistent pre-occupation with avoidance (avoiding people, places, things, and experiences you judge as uncomfortable or threatening).
Becoming socially withdrawn and/or isolated; increase in arguments with coworkers, friends, family; feeling/being less invested in loved ones’ lives; feeling generally disconnected from others; feeling fearful of others; worrying that others will learn about your fear(s); engaging in controlling behaviors with your loved ones and friends; generally being rigid or inflexible with others, or the other extreme, being too accommodating to others out of fear of judgment, exposure, rejection, etc.
Light-headedness, stomach disturbance, headaches, sleep problems, dry mouth/throat, tense and rigid muscles; feeling of tightness in the chest, stomach, shoulders and neck areas; shaking/tremors; increased/rapid heartbeat; rapid and shallow breathing; slowing down of motor activity (e.g., speech, general physical movement).
If so, it may be time to be assessed for anxiety and explore your treatment options. Contact me today, for a free 15 minute consultation regarding your symptoms, goals and how we can work together to address these issues.