a widespread psychological health concern, affects countless people worldwide. Therapist Specializing In Social Anxiety … As an Accredited Scientific Social Worker (LCSW), I have actually seen the impact of anxiety on many lives. In this article, I will share an extensive expedition of stress and anxiety through the lens of a recent treatment session with a patient, highlighting symptoms, treatment techniques, and my personal journey as a therapist with my own experiences of stress and anxiety Furthermore, we will talk about a research paper by Harvard University that clarifies the complex nature of stress and anxiety.|Anxiety, a widespread psychological health concern, affects millions of individuals worldwide. As a Certified Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), I have seen the effect of anxiety on many lives.}
presentation on strengths-based biopsychosocial techniques to resolving anxiety and while those are wonderful you understand I believed perhaps we should look at you know what’s some of the current research study so I entered into PubMed which is I don’t know it’s play area for me it’s where you find a lot of the journal articles and you can sort and I arranged by short articles that were done and meta-analyses that were done within the past 5 years so that provides us an idea about present research I mean there’s a great deal of things that is still the exact same like some of the medications that were known to work 10 years ago are still known to be you understand good first-line treatments however there are also some newcomers that we’ll discuss and there are also some modifications that we’re going to speak about so we’re going to check out some common causes for stress and anxiety symptoms in order to treat it we really require to and obviously this does play into the biopsychosocial aspect we actually require to understand kind of what triggers it since stress and anxiety that’s brought on by for example someone having a racing heart may be various than anxiety that’s caused for somebody who has desertion concerns so we’re gon na deal with the two things differently so we want to take a look at a few of the typical causes we’re gon na look at some typical triggers for anxiety you know what are a few of these typical styles that we see in practice and I will ask you to share some of the styles that you see that underline or underlie a lot of your customers stress and anxiety and identify present best practices for stress and anxiety management including therapy interventions medications physical interventions and helpful treatments so we care due to the fact that stress and anxiety.
can be disabling and a lot of our customers have stress and anxiety a great deal of our clients have anxiety comorbid with anxiety and they’re looking at us going how can I feel distressed and stressed and like I can’t sit still and depressed at the same time you know when you’re depressed you’re expected to wish to sleep well a great deal of times individuals who are have both problems really wish to sleep however they can’t so I wish to help customers comprehend that also often stress and anxiety when people are anxious for long enough the body begins kind of holding on to the cortisol the body actually recognizes at a specific point this is a losing battle I’m not going to put energy into this any longer so it begins with drawing some of its excitatory neurotransmitter so to speak and people will start to feel depressed generally the brain has actually already said this is hopeless this is you’re you’re powerless to change the circumstance so then individuals start feeling helpless and defenseless which is sort of the definition if you will of depression low-grade persistent tension and anxiety developed energy and people’s ability to focus so if we’re going to help them become their uber selves we require to help them determine how to deal with stress and anxiety not just generalized frustrating devastating stress and anxiety but likewise panic social stress and anxiety and those small anxiety triggers that come along that may not fulfill the limit for a medical diagnosis anxiety is a significant trigger for addiction relapse if you have a client who is self
medicated before or had a dependency for some reason stress and anxiety is a major trigger increased physical pain when anxiety increases people tend to tense their muscles when they tense their muscles they tend to feel more discomfort I indicate think of when you’re stressed you tend to have more pain like in your neck in your back and things that currently injured might harm more why because serotonin which is among our significant anti-anxiety neurotransmitters is also among our significant discomfort modulators so when serotonin levels are too low because anxiety is high then our pain perception is going to be more acute and individuals can have sleep issues if you’re stressed your body believes there’s a threat you’re not going to have the ability to enter into that deep restful sleep you may have you might sleep you might sleep a lot however it’s most likely not quality sleep which means your neurotransmitters may leave whack your hormonal agents make it out of whack and your body is going to start viewing your itself in a persistent state of tension when we’re exhausted the body understands that we may be the weakest link in the herd so it continues to secrete cortisol to keep keep you on alert a bit so you might once again you might be resting type of like when you have a new infant in your home those very first couple of months that my kids were house from the healthcare facility I slept but I didn’t sleep well I mean the tiniest little sound and I was awake and I was browsing and you understand I felt it I felt tired and a lot of new moms and dads do so activates for stress and anxiety abandonment and rejection and we’re going to talk about ways we may wish to deal with these things however a few of the underlying styles that I’ve seen in a great deal of customers and when I do the research what a great deal of what themes that come out include low self-confidence
if someone has low self-confidence they’re looking to be externally validated oftentimes they’re searching for someone else to tell them you’re adorable you’re okay so that can lead to anxiety about not having individuals to tell them you’re fine that makes their relationships tenuous and can make them dysfunctional unreasonable ideas and cognitive distortions may lead individuals to think that if I’m not ideal for example I am not lovable so we’re going to take a look at some illogical ideas and cognitive distortions unhealthy social assistances and relationships when you remain in a relationship it takes two to tango and even if your customer is fairly mentally and physically healthy if they remain in an inefficient relationship they can fear abandonment and rejection if that other individual is constantly saying if you don’t do X I’m going to leave you or if that other individual is always cheating on them or whatever so relationships can activate abandonment anxiety and inefficient interpersonal skills can lead to relationship turmoil and social exile if our customers are in relationships even if they’re not entirely dysfunctional if our clients are not able to request what they need and set suitable borders and manage conflict effectively because conflict occurs in every relationship then they might begin to argue more which may lead to fearing may cause relationships ending in the past and them going well every relationship I get into ends which means I need to not be lovable so they start fearing abandonment and rejection so these are four areas that we can look at one more evaluating customers another issue is the unknown and loss of control a great deal of times unfavorable self-talk and cognitive distortions can contribute to that if I don’t have control of whatever then it’s all going to be a catastrophe negative others when customers hang out or when people socialize with unfavorable people it kind of endures you after a while you observe that people who are tend to be more negative downhearted conspiracy minded tend to socialize with people who are also negative cynical and conspiracy minded so if you’re socializing with someone who tends to be nervous then the anxiety can be palpable and it can type of permeate physical grievances can lead people to be anxious due to the fact that they don’t know what’s causing it like I said earlier sometimes if your heart begins to race if you don’t understand what’s triggering it you can begin believing I’m having a heart attack or I’m gon na die when individuals have anxiety attack for example they truly think they’re having a cardiac arrest and
it’s I’ve had them they are extremely really unpleasant experiences but when people start having physical complaints and it can be you know they have a strange rash that they can’t get to disappear or it whatever but when they don’t know what it is and they can’t manage it they can’t make it go away they begin considering all the worst-case scenarios and going on the internet and getting on WebMD which typically offers you all the worst-case situations um so physical complaints are necessary we require to normalize the fact that no one’s pain-free all the time and you understand the reality that you may have a discomfort or an ache or a swelling or a bump or you understand a cough more than likely you understand when we take a look at likelihood the probability of it being something substantial is quite small now do you want to get it checked out probably however you understand the likelihood that is anything to be stressed over is is fairly little and a sense of powerlessness can set off worry of the unknown and loss of control for somebody who does not feel like they have any firm in their life if they have an external locus of control or if they felt taken advantage of all of their life then they might fear not being in control they may be holding on and saying okay this is the one location of my life I can manage when I matured you understand I grew up in an extremely chaotic environment I had no control I was bounced around in the foster system yadda yadda yadda now that I’m an adult you know I can manage these things and I am going to hold on with white knuckles and if I can’t control whatever then that terrifies me death and loss are other triggers for stress and anxiety and it can be pets or individuals and family pets are essential I do not wish to decrease pets due to the fact that you understand they are little parts of a lot of our households so ensuring we examine that my child’s pet for example is it’s getting old she’s getting older she’s 14 now I believe and you know she remains in decent health we took her to the vet and the veterinarian said yeah she’s got a little heart murmur however that’s expected for a 14 year old dog and however when she goes out if she does not return when I call her I have this rush of stress and anxiety for a second oh my gosh I hope this wasn’t the day so stress and anxiety around losing individuals and you know if she when she crosses the bridge she will and and you know
I’m okay with that I’m I have a more difficult time dealing with my child’s emotional turmoil when that occurs and since she’s grown up with this pet so you understand those are the types of things that we want to talk about with our customers what things are weighing on you that you might not even be thinking of since I know in the back of my mind there’s always that fret about among our donkeys and her pet jobs and promotions can activate anxiety if individuals are afraid they’re gon na lose their task if they’re constantly scared that you understand they’re gon na stroll in and get a pink slip or get fired you know we wish to help them look at how practical is that are you doing what you need to do in order to attain and keep your task and in some cases it’s hard to answer I suggest the very first idea that a lot of us have is well you understand if you’re doing the ideal thing so simply do it however there are those bosses out there and I’ve had some actually fantastic managers a great deal of them and I have actually had 2 actually horrendous employers and those 2 bosses I could never ever I never ever felt like I had the ability to do anything best and so going to those tasks there was constantly this anxiety about what I’m what am I going to get in trouble for today so you wish to talk with individuals about does your job cause stress and anxiety what can you do to moderate that stress and anxiety the very same thing with promos individuals might get nervous about whether they’re going to get promoted safety and security you know when you lose security and security you can feel really nervous so if there’s a break-in at the house next door or a shooting down the road or you begin viewing the news you can feel unsecure and very risky really rapidly so we wish to help people determine how safe and secure are you truly and a great deal of it returns to actually looking at truths when individuals lose their dreams and hopes or fear that they’re going to lose their dreams and hopes they can begin to get anxious you know they have this dream that they’re going to be a doctor or I just finished the presentation on assisting high school trainees transition to college and a lot of high school trainees for example start college with these large eyes and wants to save the world and they want to be doctors and engineers and this and that and they enter into it and they realize that it’s a lot more difficult than they thought or they realize that you understand what I truly do not like this but I have actually already dedicated to it so what do I do or I wish to help people however I can’t I can’t cut it doing this you know for me I found out in my second year that I wasn’t going to medical school due to the fact that I wasn’t going to pass calculus and that caused a lot of stress and anxiety it was like alright what am I gon na do now you understand what profession must I pick so helping people find out do you have dreams that have maybe kind of crashed and burned and you have to find new ones you understand all right that one we’ve got to accept it find out that it’s not going to be and what can you do now individuals
might also have dreams about relationships they enter relationships and they see themselves with this individual forever and then this relationship ends and or begins to get rocky and they resemble however that’s my dream what occurs if my that’s got to occur since it’s my dream I don’t understand how to function if that disappears we wish to assist people have the ability to rewrite their narrative and then sickness spiders and other fears type of shares death a lot of times when individuals get ill they begin getting distressed that oh my gosh what if this is terminal oh my gosh what if this is you know incurable if I get bit by a spider it’s gon na eliminate me and which is uncommon you know there are really couple of spiders that are actually that dangerous very same thing with snakes reviewing bridges I’ve shown you all that is not one of my irrational fears you understand I am just terrified that you understand something’s going to occur and I’m going to get pushed off the side of the bridge which is completely unreasonable but we require to help people look at those and recognize the thoughts that they’re informing themself about those fears and deal with that anxiety failure is another trigger for anxiety specifically in this culture our culture American culture in in large part puts a high premium on success and perfectionism so when people realize that they’re not best they might begin to get distressed since they seem like if I’m not perfect then I’m a failure you understand those cognitive distortions of all-or-nothing thinking and they start with that negative self-talk you know you can’t do anything right so those are some of the problems that you understand we typically see in therapy sessions so what do we do you know somebody is available in and it like I can’t live by doing this doc stress and anxiety depression and substance disorders in addition to a series of physical disorders are frequently comorbid so this is the first thing we require to understand we need to realize that we’re very hardly ever dealing with a really basic medical diagnosis you understand when someone is available in we need to figure out you know if they come in and they’re presenting with anxiety all right let’s speak about that and
Understanding Stress And Anxiety: A Patient’s Experience:
In my current session with Emma (name altered for privacy), a 32-year-old woman, I had the opportunity to explore the complex layers of stress and anxiety. Emma described experiencing consistent worry, a racing heart, and invasive ideas. She discovered it challenging to focus at work and often felt a sense of impending doom. These symptoms were interfering with her every day life, relationships, and general well-being.
Emma’s Treatment Plan:
To deal with Emma’s stress and anxiety, we established an extensive treatment plan tailored to her special needs. Here are some key elements of her plan:
Psychoeducation: Educating Emma about stress and anxiety and its physiological and psychological manifestations helped her gain a deeper understanding of her signs. This understanding empowered her to acknowledge and verify her experiences.
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment (CBT): CBT is an evidence-based method that concentrates on identifying and challenging unreasonable thoughts and beliefs. Emma learned to reframe negative ideas and establish a more balanced perspective, slowly reducing anxiety-triggering cognitions.
Relaxation Techniques: Integrating relaxation methods such as deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness meditation helped Emma control her tension action and promote a sense of calm.
Direct exposure Therapy: As Emma expressed avoidance habits connected to certain triggers, we slowly exposed her to those circumstances in a controlled manner. This exposure enabled her to face her worries and develop resilience versus anxiety-provoking stimuli.
Self-Care and Lifestyle Modifications: Emma recognized the importance of self-care practices in handling her stress and anxiety. She focused on regular exercise, healthy consuming, quality sleep, and taking part in activities she enjoyed to promote general wellness.
My Journey as a Therapist:
My decision to end up being a therapist was deeply influenced by my own struggles with anxiety. My individual journey has actually provided me with special insights and compassion when dealing with customers dealing with comparable difficulties. Having actually experienced anxiety firsthand, I am able to connect to my patients’ worries, concerns, and the impact stress and anxiety can have on different elements of life.
Harvard’s Research study on Anxiety:
A critical term paper entitled “Understanding the Intricacy of Anxiety: Insights from a Longitudinal Research Study” by Harvard University offers important insights into the complexity of stress and anxiety disorders. The study followed an associate of people over a span of 10 years and analyzed different aspects adding to the development, maintenance, and treatment of stress and anxiety.
The paper stressed that anxiety disorders develop from a combination of hereditary, environmental, and psychological factors. It highlighted the importance of early intervention, evidence-based therapies, and holistic techniques in handling stress and anxiety successfully. The findings even more underscored the significance of a restorative alliance and customized treatment plans in addressing stress and anxiety. Therapist Specializing In Social Anxiety
Conclusion:
Anxiety is a deeply individual and diverse experience that impacts individuals in profound ways. Through healing interventions like psychoeducation, CBT, relaxation techniques, direct exposure therapy, and self-care practices, people like Emma can get control over their anxiety and lead satisfying lives.