Anxiety is a normal part of life
For most people, the feelings of anxiety decrease once the issue has been resolved. However, for others, their anxiety lingers. In fact, it can get worse over time, and begin to interfere with daily activities, work, school and even relationships. Anxiety can negatively impact your stress levels which interfere with overall wellness/health.
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If you experience:
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Trouble falling or staying asleep
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Avoidance of social situations or difficult situations
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Repetitive worries
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Panic attacks or chest pains
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Obsessive thoughts
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A general feeling of uneasiness
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An overly cautious approach to life
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Overly reactive to things that you perceive could be threatening
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You may have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety is normal and very healthy for us to determine when a situation is safe or not safe. However, you don’t have to live with debilitating anxiety. Counseling can help, and for many anxiety problems, Oasis Psychotherapy & Wellness Group is the place to start.
When it comes to treating anxiety, research shows that therapy is the most effective option, especially with a therapist you personally connect with. We utilize evidence-based approaches for OCD, phobias, and generalized anxiety disorders.
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Therapy—unlike medication—treats more than just the symptoms of the problem. Therapy can help you uncover the underlying causes of your worries and fears for long-lasting effects.
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Counseling for anxiety can help you learn:
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How to relax and reframe repetitive anxious thinking
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Look at situations in new and less frightening ways
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Develop better coping and problem-solving skills.
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What Is OCD?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder can look differently from one person to the next.
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People casually use terms like “OCD” and “obsession” to describe endearing quirks or harmless habits. In reality, OCD can be a serious condition and is thought to affect 1% to 2% of people worldwide. People with OCD suffer from repetitive thoughts or repetitive behaviors that they have trouble stopping. The condition’s impact can range all the way from mildly annoying to completely disabling.
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Obsessions
Obsessions are thoughts that are intrusive and are accompanied by significant worry and anxiety. These thoughts are typically experienced as unpleasant, and a lot of energy and time is spent trying to rid of them. Some of the more common obsessions involve one of three topics: blasphemy, violence or safety concerns. Obsessions are often experienced as “what if” thoughts — “what if I jumped out the window?” or “what if I lose control and attack my spouse?” or “what if I actually cheated on my spouse and don’t remember it?”
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Compulsions
Compulsions are behaviors that are often driven by anxiety and one's difficulty with stopping the compulsions. Common compulsions include hand washing, cleaning, checking and counting. Compulsions can also be mental. One example of this kind of mental compulsion include repeating statements or thoughts to cancel out the bad thoughts. Many compulsions are observable, such as washing your hands or unlocking and re-locking a door to make sure it’s secure. Another compulsion, less common, is confessing things to loved ones that feel like moral violations.
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Treatment Options for OCD
When obsessions or compulsions are bad enough that they interfere with our ability to function, it is a good idea to seek a consultation with a professional. Fortunately, there are several effective treatments for OCD. The two most commonly used include a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy called Exposure Response Prevention (ERP, or ExRP), and also medication.
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Medications and techniques can be useful, but therapy works to resolve the underlying causes/reasons and the psychological susceptibilities to anxiety for long-term improvement. Anxiety disorders differ considerably, as so should therapy.
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Therapy can help you move from potentially irrational thinking to more logical thinking. You can learn how to orient yourself to a situation from a more realistic point of view.
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Our practice will develop a specific individualized plan to help you overcome your challenges and teach you how to use your new skills to live a fulfilling and productive life. There is no reason to needlessly suffer, contact Bridget today!
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