Is Anxiety Taking Over Your Life?

Are you constantly overwhelmed with worry, fear or panic?  Do racing and often illogical thoughts affect your ability to concentrate or engage socially? Perhaps you feel out of control and unable to identify where your anguish stems from. Does your anxiety cause your heart to beat rapidly, cold sweats, body aches or even panic attacks? Are you constantly anticipating that something will go terribly wrong? Do you wish you could develop a better understanding of your experience and live a connected and peaceful life?

Living with anxiety can be debilitating and scary. Because anxiety is a looping process that fuels thoughts, emotions and uncomfortable physical symptoms, such as sweating, shaking and increased heart rate, once heightened anxiety sets in, it can be difficult to shake. Furthermore, not knowing where uncomfortable feelings originate can multiply them and trigger a cycle of extreme panic. If anxiety is causing persistent problems, such as sleep issues or thoughts that keep you consistently withdrawn or on edge, anxiety treatment can help you find relief and feel more productive and relaxed.  

You Are Not Alone in Your Struggle With Anxiety
 

Anxiety disorders are the most commonly diagnosed mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults (roughly 18 percent of the U.S. population), according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. And, at times, we all experience some level of anxiety and stress. Many of us experience situational anxiety in high-pressure situations or in times of self-performance, such as of public speaking, first dates, job interviews and new or unusual social situations. Now more than ever our communal environment, with the influence of social media and the team atmosphere at work, encourages us to constantly be on display, to wear our emotions on the surface, with the implicit implication that we should portray ourselves in a particular healthy, productive, happy-go-lucky manner. Because of this, we are constantly in a position to be judged, which causes us to worry about how these evaluations manifest in the minds of others. Some anxiety and stress is normal; however, when worries and fears begin impacting your ability to feel good and function with ease, stress has likely crossed the line into anxiety.

Although many people maintain their anxiety when it occurs in the moment, there are times when we’re unable to talk ourselves down. If you’re experiencing anxiety all the time and it affects your day to day life, your anxiety is unlikely to subside on its own. The objective guidance and support of a caring, experienced therapist may be critical to your wellbeing.

Anxiety Treatment Can Help You Feel Relaxed and at Peace
 

With the right approach and the guidance of an empathetic, experienced therapist, you can experience relief from anxiety and learn how to help yourself when anxiety occurs. In a warm, supportive environment you can explore your feelings and begin to understand them—where they come from and how to process them. Allowing yourself to open up and challenge yourself emotionally can be incredibly impactful and empowering. With anxiety, your symptoms are typically part of a bigger, underlying problem. It’s a fabric in your life that creates a cycle of these symptoms. Having a space to investigate that cycle can be hugely and sustainably effective.

The root cause of anxiety is often not obvious. In session, we will navigate your past experiences, relationships and communication patterns to understand how all of these elements contribute to your present feelings of unease and inadequacy. I am a psychodynamic therapist, meaning I believe that a successful therapeutic experience is the direct result of a successful therapeutic relationship—a relationship in which you can be yourself and feel comfortable opening up. I won’t merely put a bandage on your symptoms. Rather, together we will work to identify, explore, address and alleviate the underlying, deeper cause of your pain. If you’re experiencing extreme physiological panic, I can provide you with effective tools that you can use in the moment anxiety heightens to alleviate your discomfort. However, the majority of our work will be an exploration into how to break your cycle of worry-driven assumptions. Becoming aware of what’s causing your emotional and physical discomforts will be central to our work and to your recovery.

I have been providing anxiety treatment for 14 years. I hold a doctorate in clinical psychology, and I’ve helped clients, friends and family through this issue. With openness and hard work, many people have come to understand the root cause of their anxiety. You, too, can experience relief. Once you develop a better understanding of yourself and your anxiety, you can process fear, and your anxiety can begin to diminish.

Although you may see the benefits of anxiety treatment, you still may have some questions and concerns about the process…
 

No matter what I try I’m not able to calm down.

Anxiety is often a symptom of a deeper issue. Therapy can provide a supportive and safe environment where you can explore and address the culprit of your symptoms. From there, you can begin to understand how to effectively alleviate uncomfortable feelings. My goal is to not treat you like a list of symptoms, but rather to treat the underlying issue that keeps you stuck in an anxious cycle. With help and a willingness to self-explore and engage in the therapy process, it is possible to heal and feel relaxed and empowered.

How do I talk to a stranger about personal issues?

It can be very scary to talk to somebody new; however, it can also be easier to share how you’re feeling with a neutral professional who understands the nature of both your emotional and physiological symptoms. In sessions, I’ll get to know you on a deep level and provide you with empathy and encouragement as you explore your concerns, assumptions and fears. The openness of our relationship can eventually help you feel less anxious in your other relationships. My hope is that the risks that you learn to take with me in session will become emotionally corrective and empower you to take healthy risks with people you love.

I fear that talking about things that make me anxious will generate more anxiety.

Sometimes things do get worse before they get better, but in regard to this disorder, anxiety is typically the direct result of not being able to comfortably express yourselves to others. Even though it may feel counterintuitive, having a space where you can freely share your thoughts and feelings can be liberating and can help you heal your symptoms.

Don’t Wait To Feel Relaxed and Empowered
 

I invite you to call me to discuss your specific needs and to answer any questions you may have about anxiety treatment and my practice. Please email me at drruchikukreja@gmail.com to discuss how anxiety treatment can benefit you.