Anxiety Therapy in Framingham, MA—Therapists and Counselors
What’s life without occasional anxiety? We might feel anxious when our boss assigns us a big project at work or when we get into a fight with our significant other—that’s normal. But there are major differences between feeling anxious or worried on occasion and struggling with a serious anxiety disorder.
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports that anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the US, as it affects 40 million adults in any given year. It’s important to know that there are different anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder as well as social anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, panic disorder, and more. These disorders differ in symptoms and severity, but they all have one thing in common: they’re rooted in anxiety, whether it’s anxiety about one’s everyday, or anxiety about something more specific, like large crowds or small spaces.
In any case, anxiety can change life as you know it. Fortunately, there is treatment available, which can help you understand your disorder, cope with the symptoms, and even defeat your anxiety. So, if you’re experiencing anxiety, seek treatment—consider working with a mental health professional. Thriveworks Counseling in Framingham has anxiety counselors and psychologists who are eager to help you take back control of your life. Give us a call to schedule an appointment.
Do I Have Anxiety? What Are the Symptoms?
Again, there are many different kinds of anxiety. However, the most common form is generalized anxiety. Those who struggle with generalized anxiety experience excessive anxiety or worry more days than not, for more than 6 months at a time about different events. These individuals might also experience the following:
- You find it challenging to control this excessive anxiety/worry
- You feel restless or tire easily
- You have difficulty concentrating
- You grow irritable
- You experience muscle tension
- You have trouble sleeping
Additionally, this anxiety and these symptoms cause significant distress or impairment in important areas of life. The cause isn’t always clear, but there are biological as well as environmental factors that can come into play. For example, an individual might be genetically susceptible to anxiety or they might experience anxiety after a traumatic experience.
Whatever the case, a counselor at Thriveworks can help you with your anxiety. They can help you discover techniques and tools for best handling your anxious thoughts when they arise, and together you can come up with an effective plan for moving forward with your life.
How Can Counseling Help? What Will I Learn in Anxiety Counseling?
A popular and effective treatment method for anxiety is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). The goal of CBT is to help change negative thoughts and thinking patterns, which contribute to harmful feelings. For example, CBT can help someone with panic disorder to learn that their panic attacks are not heart attacks (which is a common misunderstanding), or help someone with social phobia learn how to interact well with others and enjoy their company. CBT might also utilize exposure-based treatment, in which the individual is gradually exposed to what they fear.
Additionally, your anxiety counselor at Thriveworks in Framingham can help you to learn and understand the following:
- Everyone worries. As we mentioned right at the start, we all worry from time to time. It’s important that you accept occasional worry as a normal part of life, so you don’t worry yourself about worrying.
- You can turn the negative into positive. Now, you can focus your energy on turning the negative into something positive. Your counselor will help you find effective techniques for doing so, such as exercising or journaling.
These are just a couple of lessons you might learn in anxiety counseling. “With a non-judgemental approach, therapy can help someone gain insight into the ‘why’ behind their behavior and practice tools to manage anxious thoughts/behaviors,” adds Amy Fini, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor at the Framingham office.
Schedule an Anxiety Counseling Session at Thriveworks Counseling in Framingham
The counselors, psychologists, and therapists at Thriveworks Counseling in Framingham are skilled, caring providers who truly care about your health, wellbeing, and success in life. If you are struggling with anxious thoughts or feelings, they want to hear about them. Why? Because they can help you to manage them and, in turn, live a better life. If you are ready to schedule an appointment, all you have to do us give our office a call. We hope to hear from you, and we can’t wait to start this important journey.
