When to Seek Anxiety Treatment
The question we aim to answer is at what point is it time to seek treatment for anxiety? To do this, I first want you to picture anxiety existing on a spectrum with one end being no anxiety and the other end being the most anxiety a human being
can experience. We all exist somewhere on this spectrum, and our location on the spectrum can change day to day or even from moment to moment.
Keep in mind that everyone’s level of tolerance for anxiety is different. What makes one person anxious can make another person excited and vice versa. While there isn’t one distinct formula for identifying whether it’s time to seek treatment for your anxiety, there are a few questions you can consider to help you gain some clarity on your situation.
Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Anxiety:
1- How much time and energy is spent experiencing anxiety or working to avoid experiencing anxiety? Am I satisfied with this amount of time or do I wish it was less?
2- Am I making more and more decisions based on fear and wanting to minimize risk and discomfort and missing out on things that I’d like to experience?
3- Am I able to engage in activities that bring me joy and are meaningful to me without being distracted by thoughts of the future or reviewing events of the past?
4- How am I feeling physically? Am I noticing muscle tightness, feeling more tired than usual, or having trouble sleeping? Am I having stomach issues or having autoimmune flare-ups?
5- Am I more frequently reacting to people with anger, frustration, and irritability?
As I’ve mentioned before in this post, we want anxiety to be a part of our lives. This is because it keeps us safe, gives us energy when we need it, helps us meet deadlines and reasonable expectations, and so forth. But we only want it to be part of our life, not take over our life.
What to do if You are Still Unsure About the Severity of Your Anxiety:
Getting stuck trying to figure out whether or not the anxiety you are feeling is “normal” or “excessive” can in and of itself be anxiety-provoking. It can also be an indication that in fact, anxiety is taking up too much of your precious time and energy. Using this anxiety assessment tool will help you understand further how much anxiety is interfering with your life.
The bottom line of these questions is, to what degree and how often is anxiety getting in the way of my day-to-day life? If your answer is “too much” or “I’m not sure” then seeking out an anxiety therapist might be the next right step for you. Life is too short to live it on anxiety’s terms.
If you live in Virginia, North Carolina, or Florida and are looking for an anxiety therapist, learn how online anxiety counseling can benefit you. You can easily schedule an appointment online. If you would like additional resources and information about anxiety and OCD please visit the resource page.
Start Anxiety Treatment in Virginia!
Stuck trying to figure out if counseling is right for you? Don’t let anxiety control your life, meet with an Evercare Counseling therapist to help you manage your anxiety symptoms. Follow these easy steps to begin anxiety treatment in Virginia:
- Contact us to schedule an appointment
- Meet with our Evercare Counseling therapist
- Begin managing your anxiety
Other Services Offered At Evercare Counseling
Your mental health matters and Evercare Counseling understands. As an online counseling service Evercare is available to you anywhere in the state of Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida. To better help you, other services include ERP therapy, OCD treatment, therapy for women, and Christian counseling. To learn more check out our FAQs and blog!
