Anxiety is one of the most common reasons that people seek counseling, and all of Best Life's clinicians work with anxious individuals. Our couples and family therapists also work well with couples impacted due to anxiety in one or both partners or by family members.

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Examples of anxiety disorders include:

 

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder

• Panic Disorder

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Hoarding

• Social Anxiety Disorder

 

All of these are highly treatable with cognitive-behavioral and insight-oriented techniques. Don't allow your anxiety to continue to constrict your life without seeing if therapy can work for you. 

 

You may have learned to be anxious in your family when growing up, or your anxiety may have been triggered by a stressor in your adult life. Either way, anxiety sufferers often make very motivated and responsive patients.

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Many people don’t know what clinical levels of anxiety look like, so they can’t distinguish it from what they like to think are “normal” or “rational” responses to life events. Here are the diagnostic criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which is one anxiety disorder that many people struggle with:

 

• The presence of excessive anxiety and worry about a variety of topics, events, or activities. Worry occurs more often than not for at least six months and is clearly excessive.

• The worry is experienced as very challenging to control. The worry in both adults and children may easily shift from one topic to another.

• The anxiety and worry are accompanied by at least three of the following physical or cognitive symptoms (In children, only one of these symptoms is necessary for a diagnosis of GAD):

  • Edginess or restlessness

  • Tiring easily; more fatigued than usual

  • Impaired concentration or feeling as though the mind goes blank

  • Irritability (which may or may not be observable to others)

  • Increased muscle aches or soreness

  • Difficulty sleeping (due to trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, restlessness at night, or unsatisfying sleep)

 

Often, when people hear these criteria, they are struck by how many of the symptoms they exhibit. It is not normal or healthy to be irritable, sleepless, low energy, or unfocused because of worry. If you think that the above symptoms describe you, that would indicate that you may struggle with an anxiety disorder.

 

Read more here and here, and click here for all of Dr. Whiten's writings on anxiety. 

 

Here's a podcast on how anxiety can look different in men​ and one on when your anxiety hurts your kids.​

 

Best Life clinicians use a range of techniques and modalities to address anxiety and anxious symptoms, including Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), psychodynamic techniques, and integrative approaches. Reach out today to work with one of our skilled providers!