Anxiety
Anxiety keeps you trapped in your own head. You avoid situations, worry endlessly and feel your body on alert all the time. It does not have to stay this way.
Do you recognise this?
- You worry about things that still have to happen, or that are long past
- You avoid situations because you are afraid of what might happen
- You notice your heartbeat, tension or restlessness for no clear reason
- You find it hard to relax, even when everything is going well
- You check things several times to be sure
- You worry about what other people think of you
- You sometimes feel overwhelmed by fear or panic
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is a normal and useful emotion. It warns you of danger and prepares your body to react. But when anxiety takes over your daily life without any real danger, something has fallen out of balance.
Anxiety comes in many forms: generalised anxiety (worrying all the time), panic disorder (sudden panic attacks), social anxiety (fear of being judged) or specific phobias. What they have in common is that they limit your freedom and cost an enormous amount of energy.
The good news: anxiety responds well to treatment. With the right guidance you can learn to understand your anxiety, break the cycle of avoidance and feel space in your life again.
Symptoms of anxiety
Physical symptoms
- A pounding heart or chest pain
- Muscle tension, headaches or stomach trouble
- Tightness in the chest, or the feeling that you cannot get enough air
- Trembling, sweating or dizziness
- Sleep problems caused by worrying
Mental symptoms
- Endless worrying about 'what if' scenarios
- Catastrophic thinking and expecting the worst
- Difficulty concentrating
- A sense of unreality, or of being detached
- Irritability or restlessness
Behavioural symptoms
- Avoiding situations that bring on anxiety
- Seeking reassurance from other people
- Wanting to stay in control at all times
- Withdrawing socially
Do you recognise several of these symptoms? Book a free intro call and talk through what you are experiencing.
Treatment
Treating anxiety is about understanding your anxiety and breaking through patterns of avoidance step by step. Together we look for an approach that fits you.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
The most researched and effective treatment for anxiety. You learn to recognise anxious thoughts, test them against reality and replace them with thoughts that help you.
Exposure (step by step)
Together we practise with the situations you avoid now, at your own pace. That way your brain learns that the danger is smaller than it feels, and the anxiety eases.
Body-oriented techniques
Breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation and grounding techniques help you to calm your body again.
EMDR (if the anxiety is trauma-related)
If your anxiety is connected to distressing experiences, EMDR can help to reduce their emotional charge.
How long treatment takes
Treatment for anxiety is often relatively short and effective.
Short-term (6-10 sessions)
Focused on breaking through avoidance and easing anxiety with CBT and exposure.
Medium-term (12-18 sessions)
For deeper patterns of anxiety, several kinds of anxiety at once, or when we also work on the themes underneath them.
The treatment lengths given here are a guide. Every programme runs differently, and we tune the treatment to your own situation and needs.
Curious what a course of treatment costs? See the prices per session and what your insurer or employer may cover.
See the pricesWhen to seek help
Seek help if you recognise the following:
- Anxiety limits how you function day to day (work, relationships, social life)
- You are avoiding more and more situations
- Panic attacks are happening more often
- You spend more than half the day worrying
- You have physical symptoms for which no medical cause has been found
- Your anxiety leaves you feeling lonely
What you can do yourself
There are steps you can already take to handle anxiety better:
Breathing & relaxation
- Practise 5 minutes of belly breathing every day
- Try progressive muscle relaxation before you go to sleep
- Use grounding: name 5 things you can see, 4 you can hear, 3 you can feel
Managing worry
- Set aside a fixed 'worry slot' of 15 minutes a day
- Write your worries down. That gets them out of your head
- Ask yourself: how likely is this really?
Lifestyle
- Limit caffeine and alcohol. They make anxiety stronger
- Move regularly. It lowers your stress levels
- Keep to a regular sleep rhythm
Self-help is a good start, but when anxiety takes over your life, professional help is the fastest route to relief.
Frequently asked questions about anxiety
A certain amount of anxiety is normal and useful. But when anxiety limits your daily life, drains your energy and makes you avoid things, it is more than 'normal'. Then asking for help is a sensible step.
Anxiety sometimes eases when the source of the stress disappears. But without treatment, patterns of avoidance often grow stronger. The sooner you address it, the faster the recovery.
Exposure is an important part of treating anxiety, but it always happens step by step and in consultation with you. You are never thrown in at the deep end. You set the pace.
Yes. Research shows that online CBT is just as effective as face-to-face therapy for anxiety. For some people, starting from home even feels safer.
Start today
Ready to take the first step?
Book a free, no-obligation 15-minute phone call and find out what I can do for you.