“Anxiety” has become a buzzword that is used in Netflix shows, social media, and even in song lyrics. Everyone can relate to the feeling… but what exactly is anxiety and what do we do with it?
If anxiety is a normal emotion that everyone feels, how is therapy supposed to help with anxiety? Enter therapy.
Therapy Helps Normalizes Anxiety
While we hear the term “anxiety” being used everywhere, a lot of us have a tendency to feel that the anxiety we experience makes us different from everyone else. Experiencing a feeling of anxiety does not mean someone has an anxiety disorder. Some anxious thought patterns can feel alarming, othering, or we don’t understand where it’s coming from. A huge part of therapy is normalizing anxious thoughts and reactions, and working to shift our self-view to feel more positive. There is a lot of power in shifting our mindset from “something’s wrong with me” to “this is just anxiety.”
Therapy Helps Anxiety By Challenging Cognitive Distortions
Learning about different thought patterns helps to normalize anxiety while allowing an opportunity to restructure the foundation of our thoughts. Common distorted thought patterns include:
Overgeneralization - Assuming that the feelings or turn out from one situation are true for many or all other situations
“I felt nervous during the presentation, I’m horrible at public speaking.”
Personalization - Feeling responsible for things outside our control
“Maybe my parents wouldn’t be as stressed about their work if I did
more to help around the house.”
All or Nothing Thinking - Black and white definitive thinking
“If I’m not perfect, I failed. I will never be good enough.”
Working with Anxiety to Gain Insight
Anxiety is the body’s way of sending you a message. Sometimes the message stems from a situation we’ve experienced and can easily recall. Other times, messages were internalized during our childhood and the underlying cause isn’t as clear. In therapy, we can learn ways to identify what the anxiety may be trying ot tell us, and how we can work with it.
Therapy for Anxiety Builds New Coping Skills
Therapy is a great place to practice new coping skills as well as to understand what techniques aren’t right for you. Your therapist can teach you skills to use in the moment to deescalate the stress you feel.
If you’re curious how therapy can help your anxiety, reach out to schedule your free 15 minute consultation today.
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