Are You Having Trouble Turning Off The Worry Machine Inside Your Mind?

• Are you overwhelmed by obligations and feel that your marriage, career or parenting responsibilities have become unmanageable?
• Do you suffer through countless sleepless nights obsessing over your career, marriage, social life or financial situation?
• Do you avoid social gatherings or certain activities because they elicit an overpowering sensation of fear?
• Do you imagine worst-case scenarios rather than anticipate success?
• Do you desperately long to rid yourself of negativity, worry and fear so that you can get back to being the best version of yourself?
• Are you experiencing physical sensations like muscle fatigue, sweating or a racing heartbeat?
• Has extreme worrying caused you to indulge in unhealthy coping strategies, such as excessive eating, drug or alcohol use?

If you’re feeling especially anxious, you may feel like your life is spinning out of control. You might wake up in the morning with an overwhelming sensation of dread, fear and apprehension. Fear may cause you to avoid venturing into public settings, or meeting new people. It may feel like danger lurks beyond every corner, causing you to be on edge and ready to react to the slightest hint of physical or emotional threats. Productivity might also be an issue for you. You may worry that you won’t perform well at work and thus procrastinate on tasks, causing an endless cycle of apprehension and inaction.

Worry often takes a toll on relationships. Perhaps you isolate yourself from your partner or find yourself overly clingy. Insomnia can be a nightly reality. You might find yourself staring up at the ceiling in bed, wondering how you will pay the bills, raise your children, find a romantic partner or repair your relationship with your spouse. If heightened anxiety is your reality, you likely ache to cast away the fear, obsession and negativity that are keeping you from living a healthy, fulfilling life.

Anxiety Is Part of the Human Experience

If you’re experiencing anxiety, you are not “abnormal.” Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues in the U.S. Anyone who has experienced loss, struggled financially or coped with a life transition has likely experienced anxiety. While anxiety is a normal part of life for most people, experiences that cause mild anxiety in one person can cause a debilitating, long-lasting fear and apprehension in another (especially if they have a genetic predisposition). If your anxiety is persistent and keeps you from participating in things that other people seem to take for granted—such as driving, flying, public speaking, socially engaging with others or partaking in relationships—then it may be time to seek the guidance of a professional.

Anxiety Treatment Can Help You Restore Peace and Balance

If anxiety prevents you from traveling, keeps you from having healthy relationships with lovers, peers or family members, causes you to be mistrustful or skeptical about the motives and intentions of others or if it leads to procrastination at work because you’re afraid you’ll make a mistake, don’t worry – there is hope for recovery.

In our anxiety treatment sessions, we can explore the underlying causes of your anxiety by thoughtfully reflecting on your current and past life experiences. We can also identify and address the triggers that are causing you to experience worry, panic or fear. In sessions I can offer you relaxation strategies that mitigate tension when stressful events occur and tools that can help you better manage incessant thoughts, difficult emotions and the uncomfortable body sensations that anxiety creates. You can also learn to turn away from negative coping strategies and replace them with healthier ones. If you are struggling to get over a past trauma, we can explore techniques like eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) so that traumatic memories no longer run through your mind like a movie stuck on replay.

With the help of anxiety treatment, you can begin to heal your mind, body and soul. You can resume healthy eating and sleeping patterns, stop relying on things like drugs, alcohol and food to numb your pain and ultimately experience overall improved mental, emotional and physical health. Anxiety treatment can help you silence the worry machine inside your mind so that you can begin to transform into the best version of yourself and become a better coworker, partner, parent and friend.

Perhaps you’re ready to work on your anxiety issues, but still have questions and concerns you want to explore first…

I’m worried if I go to therapy, people will think I am weak.

Many people struggle in life, whether they’re having trouble coping with a divorce or are experiencing feelings of self-doubt or low self-esteem. By no means does attending anxiety treatment mean you are “weak” – it simply makes you human. Mental health requires just as much attention as physical health. If you have the foresight to seek out therapy, be proud of yourself. You are taking necessary steps toward greater physical and emotional wellbeing.

I don’t need anxiety treatment. I can get through this on my own.

Everyone wants to be independent, but there are just some things we can’t do on our own. In times of turmoil and discomfort, it’s okay to seek help. Everyone needs support at some point in life, whether they’re seeking the guidance of a trusted friend, religious leader, parent or doctor. Seeking the guidance of a therapist does not make you weak or mean that you lack willpower. It just means that you sincerely care for yourself and your emotional wellbeing. Therapy can help you get better in touch with who you are as a person and better prepared to take on life’s challenges.

I’m beyond help. There’s no way anxiety treatment can alleviate my fear and worrying.

There is hope for everyone. I do not believe that there is anyone who is beyond help. I have seen many patients find relief and make positive change in their lives through therapy. With the help of a compassionate, supportive therapist and the willingness to thoughtfully explore yourself and make changes, you may become more social, adopt a more positive outlook on life and learn to relax again. 

Anxiety Doesn’t Have to Control Your Life

You don’t have to fight anxiety alone. I can help you break through the worry, fear and negative thinking that’s causing you distress. Email janet@janettraylorcounseling.com or call (858) 255-0089 to schedule an appointment.