Anxiety
Anxiety is a common experience to all of us. There are many definitions of anxiety, but one way to define anxiety that I’ve found useful is apprehension or excessive fear about real or imagined circumstances. The central characteristic of anxiety is fear and worry and while some worry in life is normal and part of living, excessive worry can interfere with the ability to see problems clearly and to take action to solve a problem. Because anxiety results from thinking about real or imagined events, almost any situation can set the stage for anxiety to take hold. Some people are anxious about specific things, such as speaking in public or social situations, while others experience anxiety constantly about many different things. When you notice anxiety becoming excessive beyond what is expected for the circumstances, it is time to seek help.
Usually, anxiety is a mean trickster. It signals you to pay attention, but it also turns your brain to oatmeal, narrows and rigidifies your focus and obscures the real issues from view. Anxiety tricks you out of the “now” as you obsessively replay and regret the past and worry about the future. It tricks you into losing sight of your competence and your capacity for love, creativity and joy. It tricks you into believing that your are lesser and smaller than you really are. Anxiety interferes with self-regard and self-respect, the foundation on which all else rests.
It makes no difference whether you view your anxiety as a product of your genes, faulty brain circuitry, early trauma, current stress, world events or the moon and stars and grace. Whatever your perspective, one thing is certain: anxiety can make you feel dreadful about yourself. It can impede your capacity to think. It can dig a big negative groove in your brain and make it impossible for you to hang on to a positive thought for more than five seconds. It can affect your body in ways that can feel crippling.” —- Harriet Lerner, Fear and Other Uninvited Guests
If you, or someone you love experiences anxiety, I can help. Together, in a safe and supportive environment we can find ways to understand how anxiety interferes with who you want to be and how you want to live and use a variety of strategies and tools to take back your life from anxiety.