Anxiety is a normal reaction that many people experience. It is very common to feel nervous or uptight before an exam or to have butterflies in the stomach before going on a first date. An anxiety disorder, however, is diagnosed when various symptoms of anxiety people experience create significant distress and some degree of functional impairment in their daily living. A person with an anxiety disorder may find it difficult to function in areas of life such as social interactions, family relationships, work or school. Often, different anxiety disorders occur together or with other conditions such as depression or substance abuse.

There are six main Anxiety Disorders in adults and seven in children/youth. These include: Social Anxiety Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Panic Disorder with or without Agoraphobia, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Specific Phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Separation Anxiety (in children and youth).

If you feel that you suffer from and anxiety disorder, you are not alone. They affect about 12% of all Canadians in any given year. They are also very treatable!

ANXIETY COUNSELLING

• Learn the adaptive function of Anxiety from an evolutionary perspective – why you need it and what its trying to tell you – but how its purpose in your life may be a little different in today’s world.

• Learn the difference between functional healthy Anxiety and unhealthy Anxiety and to spot when its no longer working for you in a healthy way.

• Learn how Anxiety can work along with other emotions in a cyclical multiplying effect.

• Learn how to change your relationship with your Anxiety and how to manage it rather than having it manage you.

• Learn about the perception – emotion/physiology – behaviour chain, how Anxiety works in this chain – Then learn specific effective coping mechanisms to change and manage Anxiety at different points in the chain.

• Learn how your Anxiety functions from a neuro-physiological standpoint and how to use the way your brain works to your advantage in managing it.

• Deal with some of the underlying conflicts which may be keeping unhealthy anxiety alive in your life.

• Bring awareness to how your specific Anxiety pattern has developed and how it plays out and can be amplified within relationships.

• Learn communication tools and strategies to help manage and diffuse anxiety within relationships and in particular, conflicts.

• Learn specific skills and tools to increase and maintain emotional resilency to stay healthy and emotionally fit.