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4 Signs That You Need Anxiety Counseling

24 June 2021

Lieve Boekholt

Occasional anxiety is healthy. It is the body's response to stressful events, such as financial troubles or changing jobs. However, some people experience excessive and persistent fear and worry about almost everything. These repeated episodes of panic are difficult to control and often interfere with our daily activities. However, the condition can be managed through anxiety counseling.

Do You Need Anxiety Counseling?

Studies show that about 40 million Americans have anxiety disorders, but only 36.9 % of them receive treatment. Most people who don't seek treatment don't even know that they have an anxiety disorder. How do you know if you have severe anxiety? Here are the four main signs to watch:

1. Feeling Nervous

One of the main symptoms of anxiety disorder is feeling excessively nervous. This nervousness is characterized by mixed feelings of worry and excitement. Other symptoms of anxiety-related nervousness include:

• Sweaty palms.
• Increased heart rate.
• Stomach discomfort.

Mainly, feeling nervous is a normal stress response. However, your body should normalize when the perceived threat is contained. If the anxiety attacks are episodic, you need anxiety counseling.

2. Racing Thoughts

If you are anxious, you experience fast-moving repetitive thought patterns. The thoughts are so overwhelming that you can barely focus on a single topic. Sometimes, you feel as if your mind is going a mile a minute. If you have, for instance, experienced a specific challenge, you keep on thinking about it. On most occasions, you think of worst-case scenarios. If left untreated, the condition often results in insomnia. Anxiety counseling is one of the most effective ways of taming racing thoughts.

3. Difficulties Concentrating

If you have severe anxiety, you find it hard to focus your thoughts on something. Primarily, concentration difficulties are linked to intrusive thoughts or concerns. Apart from low concentration, you may experience other symptoms, such as:

• Change in sleep patterns
• Changes in mood
• Confusion
• Difficulty with memory

4. Problems with Sleep

Anxiety is closely linked to sleeping problems. If you experience excess fear and worry, you find it hard to fall asleep. If sleep deprivation persists, it can significantly worsen an existing anxiety disorder. Anxiety causes insomnia in two ways, through:

• The overwhelming fear of impending danger, especially at night.
• Frequent panic attacks that disrupt your sleep.

If you don't seek treatment, anxiety can become depression. On some occasions, people with depression are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. So, it's advisable to get timely anxiety counseling.

Conclusion

Anxiety disorder affects millions of Americans. Worrying too much may affect your health and interfere with relationships, work, and other parts of your life. Thus, it's advisable to see anxiety counseling services. Look for a local company like Lehigh Valley Counselors to set an appointment. 

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