Understanding Anxiety
Anxiety is a natural response to stress, but when it becomes persistent or overwhelming, it can significantly impact your daily life. It often involves intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations.
Common Types of Anxiety
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Persistent and constant worry about a number of different things, such as health, work, finances, or the future. Worry might be accompanied by other symptoms like restlessness, irritability, trouble concentrating, muscle tension, or sleep issues. Often the brain and body feel like they are on a constant worry treadmill.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Significant anxiety and discomfort related to a fear of being judged, negatively evaluated, or rejected in social situations (e.g., in friend groups or when public speaking). It often includes mental rehearsing before going into a situation, and then ruminating about how the situation went (after it has come and gone).
Panic Disorder
Panic Disorder is characterized by recurrent unexpected panic attacks, which are sudden periods of intense fear or discomfort. Panic attacks can also be expected, with clear and identifiable triggers.
Specific Phobias
An intense, (often) irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger in the moment, often leading to avoidance behavior. More can be found about Specific Phobias on the "Phobias" page in "Clinical Psychology."
Common Symptoms of Anxiety
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Feeling nervous, restless or tense
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Having a sense of impending danger or doom
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Increased heart rate and rapid breathing
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Sweating and trembling
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Feeling weak or tired
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Trouble concentrating or having 'brain fog'
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Catastrophizing (i.e., thinking of worst case scenario)
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Intolerance of uncertainty
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Mentally replaying situations over and over
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Feeling overwhelmed with decision making (i.e., 'analysis paralysis')
How Isaacs Psychology Can Help
At Isaacs Psychology, we use evidence-based cognitive and behavioural therapies to help manage anxiety, often incorporating elements of mindfulness and relaxation skills, We work collaboratively with you to identify triggers, challenge negative thought patterns, and build lasting coping skills in a gentle, supportive environment. We offer support with anxiety for anyone who is 12+ years old (including parents, teenagers, and adults). We also offer support to parents for anxiety concerns that are more common in childhood (such as Selective Mutism). Reach out to see what we can do together.