anxiety

Are any of these familiar to you?

• Constant worry
• Insomnia
• Racing thoughts
• Fear or Dread
• Difficulty concentrating at work and unable to feel present around your family and friends

Do you have any of these physical symptoms that are unexplainable by a medical illness?

• Regular headaches
• Digestive issues
• Body pains
• Fatigue 

You may very well be suffering from anxiety. If you are experiencing anxiety that interrupts your daily life, please know that you are not alone. Forty million adults in the United States experience anxiety symptoms regularly. Sue Shepard, MFT can help you discover how to feel better while providing a safe space for your healing process to begin. She offers a safe environment and is a compassionate clinician ready to support you through your journey.

Read on to learn more about the various anxiety disorders than can affect daily life. If you see yourself in any of the symptoms described below, it is time to seek help. 

Social Anxiety Disorder
Do you feel panicked in crowds or before giving a presentation at work? Are you preoccupied with what others think of you and worry that you always fall short of making a good impression? Is it frightening to feel pressured to engage in “small talk” with acquaintances or work colleagues? You may very well have Social Anxiety Disorder, a condition that interrupts your daily life and prohibits you from feeling effective at work or making connections with others.

Living with social anxiety can be isolating but please do not let it stop you from seeking help. Therapy can help you face the fears that hold you back and enable you to feel more comfortable around others while maintaining rewarding relationships. Getting a handle on your social anxiety can enrich your life by making socializing fun again and can even further your education or career by setting you up for success.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Have you been impacted by trauma, either an event you experienced or one you witnessed? This could refer to:  

• Abuse
• Sexual assault
• Violence
• Accident/Injury
• Illness
• Sudden death

A brush with trauma can cause you to feel overly alert and reactive when you are reminded of the traumatic event. You may often feel restless, have trouble sleeping, and may experience frequent nightmares. You may face fear and anxiety regularly. You may feel hopeless about the future because you do not see an end in sight to your suffering.

Panic Disorder
Have you ever been going about your day when, seemingly out of nowhere, you notice your heart is racing loudly and your palms are sweating? You may feel a pain in your chest and become dizzy. You may fear you are having a heart attack or that you are going to die, and this thought only worsens with the symptoms you are experiencing. You may feel trapped and helpless in your own body. These are signs that you are experiencing a panic attack.

Panic attacks are marked by the sudden onset of physical and psychological anxiety symptoms such as:

• Worry
• Shortness of Breath
• Racing Thoughts
• Pain in Chest and/or Body
• Excessive Sweating
• Dizziness
• Racing Heart

Panic attacks are often overwhelming and terrifying for those who experience them. If you have recently experienced a panic attack or live in constant fear of your next one, please take relief in knowing that therapy can help you manage this terrifying disorder. Sue can help you identify the situations that contribute to your high anxiety levels. Perhaps there is a major life decision you are putting off or work simply is not a good fit. Therapy can help you reduce your instances of panic attacks, experience less worry in your day-to-day life, and improve your overall functioning to flourish once again.