What is Anxiety Therapy?

You have anxiety. Does that mean that you are destined to be anxious the rest of your life? How can anxiety therapy help?

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental illnesses, and anxiety commonly occurs alongside several other mental disorders. Anxiety as a condition is very different from anxiety as a feeling, which many of us experience in our day-to-day lives. For more information on the differences between everyday anxiety and clinical anxiety, check out this blog.

How is Anxiety Treated?

Have you heard the phrase, “You need to take a chill pill?” This phrase likely represents what comes to mind for most of us when we think of treating anxiety. There are several medications that are effective in relieving anxiety, with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) being some of the most common anti-anxiety medications. However, medications are not the be-all, end-all of anxiety treatment. In fact, in many cases, anxiety can be effectively treated without having to take one pill.

What is Anxiety Therapy All About?

That’s right, therapy is a highly effective way of treating anxiety! Like depression therapy (ADD URL), anxiety therapy is often centered around a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach. In sessions, you and your therapist would work together to get a good understanding of your anxiety, the history around it, what triggers it, what helps you feel better, and what you can do to feel less anxious in your day-to-day life.

Also common in anxiety therapy is finding ways to remain centered and grounded throughout your day. With anxiety, it is easy for your brain to fly off in a million different directions, leaving you spinning, clouded, and stressed. Finding ways to remain more in the moment can help you to keep anxiety at bay and ultimately, help you feel better. There are a ton of grounding exercises that work, it is just a matter of finding what works best for you.

An example of a grounding exercise is something like this:

A Closing Note on Anxiety Therapy

Like anything else, each therapist has their own style and ways of working out problems. Many principles outlined in this blog are common across the board for all clinicians working on anxiety therapy. However, therapy differs for each person, as it is tailored to you and your needs. If you ever feel unsure about what you’re working on in therapy or want to touch on a different topic, have a conversation with your therapist and address any and all of your questions or concerns. To get started with therapy with one of our clinicians, click the link at the bottom of this page to get connected!

Hudson Therapy is a Westchester county counseling practice located in White Plains, NY. Our team of therapists provide anxiety therapy for children, as well as teens and adults.