Anxiety

Anxiety

We all worry about different things like school, finances, or relationships from time to time. However, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is different from normal anxious feelings. An individual with GAD may worry about a variety of things excessively and uncontrollably, even if there is no reason to worry.

Some common signs of GAD are: 

Individuals with GAD can also experience physical symptoms like restlessness, fatigue, sweating, difficulty concentrating, nausea, digestive problems, irritability, muscle tension, or difficulty with sleep.

Anxiety is one of the most common health concerns for children, but can present differently from how it is seen in adults. It is not unusual for children to feel anxious, but how can we know when this anxiety becomes a problem?

Some physical signs that you might see in your child are things like not using the bathroom at school, frequent headaches or stomach aches, restlessness, hyperactivity, shaking in intimidating situations, muscle tension, or difficulty sleeping.

Emotionally, children struggling with anxiety may cry a lot or be very sensitive, be easily angered, experience panic attacks , worry about their future, worry when leaving a parent, or have frequent nightmares about losing a parent.

Behaviourally, children with anxiety may constantly ask “what if” questions, avoid class activities, refuse to go to school, avoid social situations, or have tantrums. Common childhood anxiety disorders include separation anxiety , selective mutism , and social anxiety .

A common form of treatment for anxiety disorders is psychotherapy, in which the client and therapist work together to identify anxiety triggers and explore and challenge maladaptive thoughts and behaviours. Some widely used treatment approaches include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy , which seek to modify maladaptive thoughts patterns and confront triggers to reduce anxiety in the long term.

If you've experienced any of the above symptoms, you may be suffering from anxiety. Contact us for a free 15 minute consultation to see how we can help. 

We all worry about different things like school, finances, or relationships from time to time. However, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is different from normal anxious feelings. An individual with GAD may worry about a variety of things excessively and uncontrollably, even if there is no reason to worry. 

Some common signs of GAD are:

This excessive anxiety is impacting daily functioning 

Individuals with GAD can also experience physical symptoms like restlessness, fatigue, sweating, difficulty concentrating, nausea, digestive problems, irritability, muscle tension, or difficulty with sleep.

Children with GAD worry excessively about a variety of things like school, grades, family, relationships with peers, or performance in sports. This can cause children to experience the above symptoms just as adults do, although children often present with increased physical symptoms when dealing with anxiety.

Additionally, children with GAD tend to be very hard on themselves and strive for perfection, which can cause a need to seek reassurance or approval from others.

How is Generalized Anxiety Disorder treated?

One of the anxiety treatment options is a psychotherapy approach called cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT has been shown to help individuals with GAD change their thinking patterns by recognizing and controlling anxious thoughts. Additionally, CBT can help individuals learn different ways to cope with anxious thoughts and feelings when they do arise. 

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms above, you may be suffering from generalized anxiety or another anxiety disorder. Contact us for a free 15 minute phone consultation to discuss the anxiety treatment options.

Illness Anxiety Disorder 

Illness anxiety disorder (previously called hypochondriasis) is characterized by obsessive, irrational, and uncontrollable worry about having a serious medical condition.

Naturally occurring sensations are often misinterpreted as evidence for illness, resulting in the individual being easily distressed about their health. These distorted thoughts typically lead to excessive checking behaviours and persistent questioning to ensure that they are not sick.

Alternatively, the individual with health anxiety may avoid medical attention due to fear of what may be discovered. Even if the individual does have an illness, the degree of worry and related checking behaviors are more extreme and time consuming than would be expected.

This mental health condition can not only be physically and mentally draining, but can also negatively impact the quality of life of the individuals and their relationships. 

Common signs or symptoms of illness anxiety disorder include: 

Somatic Symptom Disorder

Alternatively, Somatic Symptom Disorder is a type of health anxiety in which a person has a significant focus on actual physical symptoms they are experiencing, which causes major emotional distress and impacts functioning. Individuals with Somatic Symptom Disorder may have a diagnosed medical condition, but the reaction to the symptoms is out of proportion to what would be seen as a normal reaction. A person is not diagnosed with somatic symptom disorder solely because a cause cannot be identified for a symptom, but the emphasis is on the extent to which thoughts, feelings, and behaviours related to the illness are out of proportion to the symptom. 

Symptoms of Somatic Symptom Disorder can include: 

How is health anxiety (Illness Anxiety Disorder and Somatic Symptom Disorder) treated? 

The most common treatment for health anxiety is psychotherapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT has been found to be effective in treating health anxiety as it can help identify beliefs around health, change unhelpful thoughts, help find different ways to respond to bodily sensations, teach ways to cope with anxiety, and help to reduce body focused behaviours. 

If you think you may be suffering from Illness Anxiety Disorder or Somatic Symptom Disorder, contact us for a free 15 minute phone consultation to see how we can help! 

Performance anxiety (also called ‘stage fright’) can be defined as having fear about your ability to perform a specific task. Individuals experiencing performance anxiety may worry about a task before it's begun or believe failure will result in humiliation or embarrassment. An individual can experience anxiety around a variety of situations including competing in a sporting event, taking a test, doing something while others are watching, singing, or acting. Performance anxiety can vary from person to person from mild nervousness to the thought of performance causing a panic attack. Although it is not a psychological disorder, performance anxiety can not only negatively affect self-esteem and confidence, but also prevent an individual from participating in activities. 

Common symptoms of performance anxiety include:

One of the methods that professionals use to treat performance anxiety is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT can help individuals understand their reactions to anxiety and provide helpful ways to gain control over these situations. Additionally, mindfulness strategies can help individuals relax and redirect their thoughts when anticipating a performance. 

If you experience performance anxiety, consider contacting us for a free 15 minute phone consultation to see how we can help. 

Many toddlers and young children experience anxiety when separated from a primary caregiver until about age three or four. However, some older children experience Separation Anxiety Disorder, an excessive anxiety or fear when away from home or separated from caregivers. This anxiety can interfere with and limit a child's life by causing them to be isolated from peers, miss opportunities to engage in activities, or cause them to do badly in school. 

Some symptoms of separation anxiety include:

Separation Anxiety in Adults

Although separation anxiety frequently occurs in children and teens, it can also occur in adults. Separation anxiety occurs in adults when they experience excessive fear when separated from those with whom they are attached, which could be a family member, a spouse, or a roommate. As a result, when separated an adult may experience anxiety, nightmares, and an inability to go to work or leave their home. Although this is more common in young adults leaving home, it can also be prompted in older adults by children leaving home, a spouses’ death, or family moving away. Separation anxiety in adults can lead to significant disturbances in functioning including work attendance, isolation, or difficulty in romantic relationships.

How is Separation Anxiety treated?

Several types of talk therapy or psychotherapy have been found to be helpful for both children and adults suffering from separation anxiety disorder. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can help children learn how to better cope with anxiety, recognize anxious feelings, and address thought patterns that contribute to anxiety. For very young children play therapy can be effective as play can be used to process emotions and learn coping skills. Additionally, exposure therapy can help to reduce anxiety over time by gradually exposing children or adults to situations in which they are separated from their parents or attachments. Mindfulness can be helpful to help both children and adults learn to self-soothe during anxious times when separated from caregivers or attachments. Lastly, for children dealing with separation anxiety, parents play a vital role in treatment. Using family therapy, parents can learn strategies to help their child and effective ways to respond to anxiety. 

If you or your child are suffering from any of the above symptoms, you may be suffering from separation anxiety disorder. Contact us for a free 15 minute phone consultation to discuss what type of treatment may be right for you. 

Social Anxiety Disorder, also sometimes called Social Phobia, can be described as a fear of social interactions and situations, where one might possibly be judged or evaluated by others. Individuals with social anxiety disorder tend to feel nervous or uncomfortable when around others. These situations can fall into two categories: performance situations like meetings, presentations, eating in front of others, or public speaking, or interpersonal interactions such as meeting new people, talking to friends, dating, or going to social events. 

Social Anxiety vs. Shyness

Social Anxiety Disorder can commonly present in children as social relationships are very important in a child’s life. Children with social anxiety are often worried that others will think badly of them, which can lead to distress and avoidance. Thus, social anxiety can begin to negatively impact school performance, attendance, and the ability to socialize with peers.

Some common symptoms of social anxiety disorder include: 

It is normal for all of us to feel somewhat anxious in social situations from time to time. However, social anxiety can become a problem when it is too intense, happens too open, and begins to affect your ability to function. When we begin to avoid social situations, it can also affect our personal relationships and possibly lead to low self-esteem, depression, sensitivity to criticism, and poor social skills. Individuals with social anxiety disorder can also experience physical symptoms like an increased heart rate, nausea, or sweating during social situations. In some cases, some individuals can experience panic attacks when in social situations. 

How is Social Anxiety Disorder treated?

A therapeutic intervention known as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been shown to be successful at helping individuals with Social Anxiety Disorder. CBT has been shown to help individuals alleviate anxiety symptoms, learn how to cope with social situations, practice social skills, and replace negative thoughts. Additionally, Exposure Therapy has been found to help individuals face feared social situations in a controlled space to help decreased anxiety and reduce avoidance. 

If you’re experiencing symptoms of social anxiety, consider contacting us for a free 15 minute phone consultation to discuss how we can help.