By: Dr. Karla Heredia, PsyD, LMFT

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a natural, motivational, emotional response to threat.  

Early  humans needed anxiety to help keep them alert, watchful and energized  in case of an encounter with a predator.  Although we don’t need to  worry about that so much these days, anxiety helps modern people stay  productive and active.  If you didn’t feel anxious about showing up late  to work, for example, you might get fired for lateness.  Or, if you  didn’t feel worried about failing a test, you might not study for it. 

For  the most part, anxiety is actually quite healthy and helpful.  But  sometimes, we get too much anxiety, and it gets in the way of wellness.  Here are some of the most common signs of anxiety overload:

Anxiety  can happen in many different ways.  Sometimes we experience unhealthy  anxiety because of our responsibilities (e.g., work). Sometimes we  experience anxiety because of hardships from the past, such as bullying  or abuse.  And sometimes, we experience anxiety because of uncertainty  about the future (e.g., finding or choosing a romantic partner, worrying  about paying rent, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, etc.).

The  mind and body are equipped to handle short-term anxiety – but when we  stress and struggle long-term, there are consequences.  Left untreated,  anxiety can affect performance at school and work, decrease one’s sense  of connection with others, and even increase the likelihood of  developing medical complications (e.g., high blood pressure, elevated  pain levels, decreased immune response).  

Therapy  is the first line of treatment for unhealthy anxiety, and it truly  works.  Sometimes signing up for therapy for the first time can feel  anxiety-provoking or awkward, and that’s okay!  Here at Heredia Therapy  Group, we offer therapy for anxiety for kids as young as two years old  and throughout the lifespan – people just like you.  

Get the help you deserve and contact us today.

How can therapy help with 

anxiety?

Anxiety tends to make itself worse over time by creating a cycle of avoidance.

Anxious  thoughts, feelings, and sensations are incredibly uncomfortable, which  motivates us to avoid them when possible.  In some cases, we can use the  anxiety by taking action to make things better (e.g., study for the  test we are worried about).  But often, we try to avoid the anxiety  altogether (e.g., procrastinating, tuning out, etc.).  

When we avoid the thing that makes us anxious, the anxiety response becomes stronger.   It’s almost like taking a beach ball and trying to push it down under  the water so that you don’t have to look at it.  Over time, the beach  ball feels harder and harder to hold down, and we become exhausted. 

Therapy  for anxiety helps you learn to accept the anxiety for what it is, use  practical strategies for coping, and focus on living a functional,  meaningful life.  Instead of spending all your time pushing the beach  ball down, you can learn to cope with it at the moment and just enjoy  the water. 

As you make progress in therapy for anxiety, you can:

·  Understand your cycle of avoidance – and break it

·  Regain a sense of control and confidence

·  Change unhelpful ways of thinking

·  Feel at ease in social situations

·  Accept life’s uncontrollable stressors

·  Enhance interpersonal and social skills

We  believe that everyone deserves a chance to rest, be well, and live  without anxiety overload.  If you or a loved one are struggling, let us  help.

Written by: Dr. Karla Heredia, PsyD, LMFT.