Anxiety

Anxiety was getting the best of Anthony*.

Anthony was the most anxious person I had ever seen. He had been diagnosed with panic disorder and GAD (generalized anxiety disorder). He lived in a permanent state of unnecessary alarm. He was always hyper-vigilant, his mind never rested, and he prepared himself for the worst in every situation.

Anthony sometimes dealt with full-blown panic attacks: heart pounding, nausea, and inability to breathe. The first panic attack landed him in the ER; he thought he had a heart attack.

The panic attacks had increased his base level of anxiety because now he was afraid of the panic attacks as well. Anthony had been in therapy before, and a doctor had given him medication.

However, it was hard for him to let go of his guard.

We got to work.

We tackled Anthony’s anxiety from multiple angles. Some of that work involved identifying triggers that increased his anxiety or panic attacks. We thoroughly looked at the thought patterns that preceded and accompanied the attacks.

As we practiced anxiety-reducing breathing exercises, Anthony started a running schedule in preparation for the NYC marathon. We also delved into Anthony’s upbringing and how a relationship with an alcoholic stepfather created a constant state of emergency in Anthony.

To protect himself and his mom from his stepdad’s alcoholic rages, Anthony stayed on constant guard. The stepfather was long gone, but the chaos he unleashed in Anthony’s life wasn’t. To Anthony, letting go of his anxiety required him to let go of this bond with his mom, forged in the flames of a traumatic situation.

Anthony is doing ok now. He ran the NYC marathon last November and now enjoys a new sense of self-confidence.

Therapy can help you as well.

Anthony’s decision to seek therapy helped him overcome deep-seated anxiety that resulted from his childhood. Now he has learned to manage those feelings.

Although anxiety is a natural response to stressful situations, some forms are hard to manage without therapy.

I helped Anthony. Working with you would be my pleasure. Don’t keep letting anxiety rule your life.

Let’s work together to help you process your anxiety. Now is the time to call.

*Name and story are composite narratives and do not reflect an actual client.