Loosening the Grip of Anxiety: Adventuring Through Life
without Fear

Audio Version

It is not unusual to feel anxious when there is a perceived threat to your safety and welfare. Any challenging situation, such as a job interview, starting a new project, or going on a blind date can be anxiety provoking. Feeling anxious at times is a part of life and it is your body’s natural response to any danger, whether perceived or real. Anxiety can be an automatic response to a stressful situation.

Anxiety is not necessarily a bad thing. It can help you stay alert and focused, call you into action, and prompt you to make healthy changes. If, however, your worries and fears are constant and overwhelming to the extent of stopping you from living a meaningful life you may be experiencing an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are treatable, therapy can help. 

What is Causing Your Anxiety?

To feel anxious is a helpful emotion that can warn you if there is a threat to you or your loved ones. Anxiety stirs your awareness during emergencies like fire or an assault. Unfortunately, anxiety can also pop up in non-threatening situations like public speaking or an exam. Anxiety lets you know that something is wrong and needs to change, the trick is figuring out what.

Anxiety disorders are believed to be the result of the complex interplay of various causes and risk factors. Included among these are:

  • Genetics: Individuals with immediate relatives affected by anxiety disorders are at higher risk for developing one. This is not always the case, though there is a connection.
  • Brain Chemistry: Neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers of the brain, are also blamed for the development of anxiety disorders. Low levels of these chemicals may incorrectly signal the presence of danger. Some parts of the brain responsible for regulating fear, memory and emotion also play a role in triggering anxiety during sensitive or unpredictable situations.
  • Environmental: People with numerous and severe stressors such as death, violence, illness, or job termination, etc. are more inclined to develop an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety is wired in the human temperament, which means we are prone to anxiety. For this reason, most people experience anxiety at some point in their lives. Feeling anxious can last for a short time and then fade on its own. If anxiety is impacting the way you live your life, it is time to take action. 

The following are red flags that anxiety is on the loose:

  • Going back to your old habits of avoidance or finding something to distract your mind from the source of your anxiety. Avoidance feeds on itself and reduces your self-confidence.
  • Build-up of unrelated anxiety and worrisome thoughts you cannot dispose of. Body aches and pains continue to increase.
  • Losing grip of your methods for staying focused.

How Prevalent is Anxiety?

An anxiety disorder can drastically alter your life. It can affect the way you think and feel. In the United States alone, anxiety statistics reveal that an estimated 40 million adults aged 18 and older, or 18.1 percent of the population are affected each year. The lifetime risk for developing some form of anxiety disorder is 9 percent, with age 30 being the average age of onset. Females are twice as likely to develop an anxiety disorder, which is attributed to more women reporting their symptoms than men.

Anxiety is the underlying cause of many behavioral health concerns, including phobia and panic attacks. Anxiety Disorders include; separation anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), phobia, agoraphobia, panic, etc. It is often correlated with other conditions, including depression and post traumatic stress disorder. Greater impairments are more likely to develop when disorders affect younger individuals.

Freedom from Anxiety and Facing Life with Confidence

Living with anxiety can take away the memories of how pleasant your life has been. How you wish you could wake up each morning with positive thoughts of facing the day ahead. Instead, fear and worries about what the day may bring fill your mind.

Anxiety is treatable. You can learn valuable skills and find relief from your symptoms. There are many effective therapy approaches to treat anxiety including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Finding the therapist that is right for you can make a world of difference. 

Carolina Counseling Services in Pittsboro, NC contracts with skilled, effective therapists. When you call CCS our caring Scheduling Team can connect you with a licensed, contracted therapist that is right for you. Call today to get started.

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