Anxiety and Stress
While stress and anxiety are part and parcel of life, things can build up too much and paralyse our ability to cope. We may feel as though we’re frozen ‘like a rabbit in the headlights’ or like we just need to give up and run away (flight mode). Alternatively, we may find we’re so used to high levels of anxiety and stress that we find it very hard to wind down—we’re always in ‘fight’ mode.
High levels of anxiety over extended periods of time will often have a negative effect on our physical health. It can lead to a growing fear of facing the very things we may need to deal with (e.g. finances, relationship problems, social anxiety, sexual difficulties etc.), narrowing our freedom and ability to function. It can seriously disrupt our ability to sleep, which in turn can raise anxiety levels further.
What can I do to help?
I can help you explore strategies that might help you begin to bring anxieties under greater control while also exploring possible causes because it’s not always obvious what is making us anxious. No two people are the same and my way of working will respect your unique situation and history. Some of our work may involve managing of thoughts (cognition), some may involve helping you manage triggers of unwanted behaviour.
