Anxiety Counseling

Anxiety is a weight that you carry with you wherever you go. If you are feeling overwhelmed by your anxiety, we can help.

Anxiety is a normal reaction to many different kinds of situations and events that happen in life. It’s our body’s “fight or flight” response to stressful situations, alerting us to danger and preparing our body to fight back. A healthy amount of anxiety is actually a good thing – it can help us be motivated to complete a project or can keep us safe.

Sometimes, anxiety can be disruptive to everyday life. There are quite a few ways you can learn to help manage your anxiety that help your brain and body return to their normal states. Check out our blog post with four breathwork patterns for anxiety and another that shares three simple ways to reduce anxiety. Sometimes reducing anxiety takes a bit more work than this. If that’s the case, you may be dealing with an anxiety disorder.

When does anxiety become an anxiety disorder?

Anxiety is a problem when it becomes unmanageable or overwhelming. This means that your body’s stress signals are not turning off at the appropriate times, sending fight or flight signals to your body when none are needed. Some signs that you may be experiencing an anxiety disorder include:

• Anxiety or symptoms of anxiety come up unexpectedly, or for no reason
• Your body’s anxiety response is much stronger than the situation calls for
• If you are experiencing a high amount of unrealistic anxiety, for example, fear of a situation that is likely to not happen
• Anxiety symptoms that last a long time after the situation is resolved
• Worry that feels impossible to manage or control
• You change or avoid situations that you believe will cause anxiety

Common symptoms of anxiety disorders

• Excessive worrying
• A feeling of detachment from the world
• Fear that seems to come out of nowhere
• A never ending stream of paralyzing what-if’s
• Shortness of breath
• Trembling
• Agitation
• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Muscle tension
• Trouble sleeping
• Panic attacks
• Withdrawal from social settings

Child anxiety and teen anxiety can show up in the form of separation anxiety, social anxiety, generalized anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, and OCD.

Symptoms of anxiety in children and teens may include:

• Recurring fears and worries about everyday moments in life
• Irritability
• Trouble concentrating
• Sensitivity to criticism
• Extreme self-consciousness
• Withdrawal from social settings
• Avoiding new situations
• Complains of physical pains with no obvious cause
• Fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, and trembling hands

Anxiety can be a difficult burden to carry. We understand that it can sometimes feel debilitating and make the simplest tasks in life feel overwhelming. If you feel that your anxiety is causing you to miss out on the good things in life, know that we can help.

We will give you the tools to understand your triggers, look for and heal from possible causes of persistent anxiety, and help you to break the cycle of anxiety you feel so you can live a good life.

FAQs About Anxiety Counseling in Illinois