Anxiety Counselling

Anxiety is a normal  reaction to danger. Our body’s automatic “fight-or-flight” response gets triggered when we feel threatened, under pressure, or are facing a challenging situation, such as a job interview, exam, or first date. In small amounts, anxiety isn’t necessarily a bad thing: it may help us stay alert and focused, push us to take necessary action, and motivate us to solve problems. But when anxiety is constant or overwhelming—when worries, fears or even panic attacks interfere with your relationships and daily life—it might be a good idea to seek counselling support.

Anxiety comes in many different forms. Perhaps feels like dread, where you’re always assuming the worst, or constantly waiting for something awful to happen. Or maybe it manifests as fear of social situations, so that you avoid them as much as possible.  You might even be having panic attacks, which are scary physiological reactions that can strike without warning and make you feel like you can’t breathe, or that you’re having a heart attack. 

Anxiety can also manifest as phobias, procrastination, perfectionism, problems falling or staying asleep, and lack of appetite.

Anxiety may also include obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. “OCD” involves the need to perform certain routines repeatedly (compulsions), or have certain thoughts repeatedly (obsessions). Often someone with OCD enacts out the compulsions to temporarily eliminate or reduce the impact of obsessions, and not performing them causes distress. Other related obsessive-compsulve disorders include body dysmorphia, where a person hold a overly negative (and usually inaccurate) view of their own physical appearance, hoarding, and excessive skin/nail-picking and hair-pulling. OCD and its related disorders can vary in severity, but if left untreated, they can limit one’s ability to function at work, school, or home.

Despite their different forms, all anxiety disorders share the same aspect: a feeling of intense fear or worry that’s out of proportion to the situation at hand.