Anxiety Treatment in Delray Beach, FL

• Is your life consumed with worry about things you know are not a big deal?
• Do you struggle with “putting yourself out there” and engaging in normal, social situations?
• Are you tired of feeling nervous and scared all the time?
• Do you feel like danger or threat is lurking around the corner at any moment?
• Are you frustrated by how limited your life has become due to irrational fears or phobias?
• Do you have debilitating panic attacks that can hit you without any warning?

Anxiety is a natural human emotion. It can be beneficial in some situations, alerting a person to danger and helping them to pay attention and prepare for a potential threat. But, anxiety disorders differ from these reactions. They often involve excessive and often irrational worry or fear about everyday situations, and non-threatening situations. Anxiety disorders affect approximately 30% of adults at some point in their lifetime. But, an anxiety therapist from our team can offer support with anxiety treatment in Delray Beach, FL.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Everyone experiences anxiety to some degree. But, to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, there must be major distress or impairment. Here are some examples of common diagnosable anxiety disorders:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Excessive anxiety and worry about a variety of events or activities. Common worries often relate to work, money, health, or family.

Separation Anxiety Disorder.

Developmentally inappropriate and excessive fear concerning separation from home or attachment figures.

Specific Phobia.

Intense fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation. Common phobias include:

• Animals (spiders, insects, dogs, etc.)
• The natural environment (heights, storms, water, etc.)
• Medical concerns (needles, blood, medical procedures, etc.)
• Situational experiences (flying in an airplane, elevators, enclosed places, etc.).

Social Anxiety Disorder.

Formally called “Social Phobia”, this is intense anxiety related to social situations. Individuals are often fearful of possible scrutiny or judgment by others. So, they may often attempt to avoid feelings of humiliation or rejection. Common situations where a person may experience social anxiety include meeting new people, being observed eating or drinking, or giving a speech.

Panic Disorder.

Having recurrent unexpected panic attacks and intense fear of having panic attacks.

Agoraphobia:

Fear or anxiety related to situations where escape might be hard or help might not be available. These situations often involve:

• Using public transportation
• Being in open spaces (parking lots, bridges, marketplaces, etc.)
• Being in enclosed spaces (shops, theaters, etc.)
• Standing in line or being in a crowd
• And being outside of the home alone

More About Anxiety and Anxiety Treatment

People who suffer from anxiety disorders often experience intense anguish. As a result, they experience major limitations in their lives. It can soon become all-consuming and very debilitating. In addition, untreated anxiety disorders can often get worse over time with increased sensitivity and reactivity. It can lead to:

• Substance use
• Feelings of hopelessness and futility about the future
• Clinical depression
• Isolation and social withdrawal
• Problems with eating and sleeping
• And so much more

Anxiety also often leads to avoidance. I mean, who would blame someone for trying to avoid being around, or thinking about, situations that trigger their anxiety symptoms? It may provide a temporary emotional reprieve. But, this process often contributes to the worsening of anxiety.

Anxiety and Trauma

During the anxiety treatment process, it is vital to explore your history of prior traumatic events (or traumatic conditions) that may be at the core of your anxiety symptoms. For example, feelings of fear or danger may originate from growing up in a chaotic, unpredictable household as a child. Social anxiety may relate to prior negative social experiences as a child. Or feelings of panic and hypervigilance can result from traumatic stress reactions following past overwhelming experiences.

In fact, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was first categorized as an “Anxiety Disorder” in the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual due to the high prevalence of anxiety symptoms that are often present. It’s easy to see how trauma can play a role in the development of anxiety. A skilled anxiety therapist will help you address whatever underlying issues are at the root.

Forms of Anxiety Treatment in Palm Beach County, FL

The main treatments deemed effective for anxiety disorders are psychotherapy and medication. Many clients benefit even greater from a combination of the two.

Psychotherapy as a treatment for anxiety. 

Also referred to as “counseling” or just “therapy”, psychotherapy involves working with an anxiety therapist to reduce or manage your anxiety symptoms and increase your quality of life. Therapy models such as Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) teach specific skills related to an individual’s thinking, emotions, and behaviors. By doing so, the individual can work to decrease the severity of their anxiety. Other therapies such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and psychodynamic therapy are also shown to be effective as well. Each of these is a great option for targeting the issue.

Medication as part of anxiety treatment

Several types of medications are used to help relieve anxiety symptoms. These include certain antidepressants, an anti-anxiety medication called “buspirone”, beta-blockers, antihistamines, and benzodiazepines. Your anxiety therapist can refer you to a skilled and experienced psychiatrist. This physician can assess your situation and prescribe the right medications.

Begin Anxiety Treatment in Palm Beach County, FL with a Skilled Anxiety Therapist

A skilled anxiety therapist from our team of therapists can help you manage your anxiety symptoms and lessen the distress and worry you experience in your life. They can help teach you skills to address anxiety triggers and calm your excited nervous system. At Mangrove Therapy Group, our clinicians are skilled at working with all forms of anxiety and would welcome the opportunity to help.

• Contact Mangrove Therapy Group
• Meet with a caring therapist
• Start working on your anxiety!

Other Services Offered with Mangrove Therapy Group

Anxiety counseling isn’t the only service offered at our Palm Beach County Practice. We understand you are a complex person that may also be dealing with issues such as grief, body image issues, anger, personality disorders, and depression. Our clinicians are experts in treating trauma and PTSD/C-PTSD. We also offer support for addictions like body image, substance abuse, process addictions, eating disorders, and “Failure to Launch” syndrome. In addition, we also offer support via EMDR, personality disorders, problems with self-esteem, CBT, DBT, and much more. Feel free to visit our FAQs or blog page to learn more today!