Serving Kitchener-Waterloo, Milton, Oakville, London, and the surrounding areas, Anchoridge Counselling wants to help you with any anxiety or stress you may be dealing with in your life.
Everyone knows what it's like to feel anxious - butterflies in your stomach when you're going into a new situation, or the way your heart pounds if you think you are in danger. It is typically a helpful emotion, but sometimes it can do just the opposite and disrupt your daily life. For some people, it's like an explosion in your mind sending your thoughts out of control, or a rain cloud of negative words following your every move. For others, it's this heavyweight on your chest every time you try and breathe.
A constant battle between me, myself and I, where the logical side of me wouldn't think twice or be upset about it, but this monster inside of me wins and I'm a constant state of panic and self-doubt.
Anxiety influences the thoughts in our mind, and the ways our body feels. It is a reaction that activates our "fight or flight" response. So while it is used to keep us from danger, sometimes our brain gets activated and responds with anxiety to things that are not a danger to us. It is not developed or caused by a single factor but a combination of things. A number of factors play a role, including personality factors, difficult life experiences, substance use and physical health problems. Symptoms of anxiety present itself in different ways, and it varies in intensity and duration. You may be feeling exhausted and tired of the constant worry. You may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep and then wake up feeling agitated and restless. Or you may feel tense, sweaty, and shortness of breath. It can be apprehension and worry, or distress and fear.
Let us help you work through your concerns, develop new skills and build self-resiliency.
So how do I manage my anxiety?
The good news is that anxiety is manageable, and treatment can help you overcome the symptoms and lead to a more manageable day-to-day life. At Anchoridge Counselling, we recognize that you cannot simply "get over it". Our team of therapists will evaluate each person individually to determine what type of treatment is best. Treatment is customized to fit the specific needs of each person. We use psychotherapy methods such as:
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Solution-Focused Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
...and other supportive therapy to help individuals develop tools and skills to understand their emotions and manage their anxiety. Anxiety is normal, and we all experience it. You are worthy of help, no matter how trivial you may perceive your problems to be. There is no shame in reaching out - you are far from alone and many individuals are working towards their ideal outcome. You don't need to continue being overwhelmed and missing out on the day-to-day events.