How Anxiety and Panic Are Treated

I hope you are reading this because you are fed up with your anxiety and are ready to do something about it.  It is time to get your life back or even to see what it is like to not have anxiety controlling your life. 

So you decide to go to therapy.

But what happens in therapy for anxiety?

1. Find a mental health practitioner that specializes in anxiety.  This may be a clinical counselor, psychologist, or licensed clinical social worker.  A psychiatrist is a physician that specializes in mental health. (I interchangeably refer to mental health practitioners as therapists or even counselors.  I, myself, am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor.  All counselors are mental health practitioners but not all mental health practitioners are counselors.  Clear as mud!)

2. A therapist will conduct an assessment during the first session.  They will ask you questions about your past and present.  Some are directly about anxiety.  Other questions may not seem to pertain to your anxiety but it gives the therapist additional information that may be important.

3. The second session is likely to get to know you more and for you to be more comfortable with your new therapist. This is a great time to ask questions that you might have not thought of during the initial assessment.

4. Each therapist is trained in different modalities that work for anxiety.  These modalities have been researched and proven to have benefits. Some (but not all) of these modalities are:

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)- Your anxiety works in a cycle. Your therapist will learn how your thought process affects your anxiety and behaviors.  They will teach you new productive ways to think about things.

2. Exposure Therapy/ Emotional Response Therapy- This is helpful to overcome your fears.  The client is exposed to their fears gradually to be able to overcome those fears.  This exposure may be talking about it (when you might normally ignore it all together), facing it directly, or anything in between. This will help to “rewire” the brain so it does not react to situations that are not immediately harmful. New coping skills will be taught.

3. Interpersonal Therapy- This will focus on how the client interacts with others.  How it affects their relationships.

5. Ways you can help yourself outside of therapy.

1. Recognize triggers and behaviors.  Report them to your therapist at your next session.

2.  Journal

3. Utilize your support system

4. Pay attention to physical signs

5. Use coping skills you learn in therapy

6. Read any articles or books recommended to you

7. Recognize relationships that trigger anxiety

8. Speak with your physician to rule out any physical disorders that the symptoms can be from.

9. Consider talking to your primary care doctor or psychiatrist about medication

  Your therapist will go at your pace with a gentle nudge.  Yes, therapy can be a trigger to your anxiety for a while.  Every time you go to therapy without giving into the anxiety (skipping therapy) you will be helping to “rewire” your brain.

You deserve to be happy without anxiety running your life. 

You can do this!

Saving Grace Telehealth Counseling

Karen Baum MA, LPCC-S

Working through secure video for those in Ohio

Text or call: 419.277.4355  

WWW.SavingGraceTC.com

Email: Karen@ SavingGraceTC.com