Anxiety occurs when your brain starts to run on a loop of worry, fear, or nervousness.  This constant stress creates a variety of physical, mental, and emotional symptoms. The hyper-vigilance you experience when you are anxious may make your body tense, cause difficulty sleeping, create issues with memory, give you headaches or stomachaches, cause irritability, or create an anxiety attack. These are just a few of the many symptoms associated with anxiety. Although anxiety is a common experience, your personal reaction to it is as unique as you are.  

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Our brains are programmed to be alert to any potential danger in our environments and focus on negative experiences in order to not repeat them. Once our brains become vigilant, we may create a loop of thinking that causes continued worry, fear, or distress. There are many potential causes or triggers for anxiety, social situations, changes in our lives or daily routines, experiencing new things, stepping outside our comfort zone, or experiencing a dangerous or life-threatening event.

Anxiety can feel overpowering, it can leave your self-esteem in the dust and keep you from reaching life goals or from forging deeper connections with friends and family. When anxiety disrupts your ability to live a calm and healthy life, then it’s time to reach out and get the support and guidance you need to learn how to interrupt your inner critic and change the narrative in your mind. Therapy will support you to work through your inner thought patterns and learn how to use techniques, such as cognitive coping strategies, overcome limiting beliefs and mindsets, and turn negative self-talk into self-love and compassion.