Anxiety therapy has been shown quite effective for the treatment of anxiety symptoms and their debilitating effects. Before beginning counseling for anxiety, some preconceived notions must be address.
First off, no therapy can completely eliminate anxiety and stress. All we can do is help you manage the symptoms more effectively. A little bit of anxiety is a healthy and natural thing. Anxiety can become a problem only when it becomes overpowering and causes distress.
Secondly, anxiety is a biological reaction. It is rooted in being human and can be controlled. Don’t fool yourself into thinking it is beyond your power.
Let’s start with some clear and simply definitions.
Anxiety is a very general term used to describe a state of fear or uneasiness and is generally associated with physical symptoms. We identify the term as “general” here because the key to a successful course of anxiety treatment is the proper identification of the triggers (causes) to the anxiety and the events (situations) in which it manifests.
Clearly identifying these two key components is at the very heart of anxiety management. When we know what triggers, and in what specific situation the anxiety manifests, we can precisely map a course of treatment tailored to you.
Anxiety treatment is particular to the person, and a dedicated course of counseling is required.
At the very heart of anxiety is the fight or flight reaction. Anxiety and stress is a reaction to a real or perceived threat. When we feel the threat, whether real or perceived, out body instinctively responds with a very old survival technique, the fight or flight response.
Many of the anxiety symptoms we can identify are a direct response to the fight or flight instinct. Learning to identify and manage the instinctual response with dedicated and specialized anxiety interventions will greatly improve your ability to control the symptoms, and thus, control the anxiety you feel.
The goal in any anxiety treatment or therapy is to first learn to manage the reactive anxiety response. Once a client can manage the back-end of the reaction, the goal will be to proactively avoid the triggering of a reaction with dedicated cognitive interventions.
Remember, any good course of anxiety therapy will begin with a specifically tailored set of goals and treatment plan for your unique response. Be cautious of any one size fits all programs anxiety management programs.