What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a common emotion experienced by individuals when facing stress, uncertainty, or challenging situations. It’s a normal response that can even help us in certain circumstances.

Anxiety is a natural response that alerts us to potential threats and triggers a “fight or flight” reaction. It’s what makes your heart race before a big presentation or when you’re about to meet someone new. In these situations, anxiety can be helpful, pushing us to be prepared and focused.

However, anxiety becomes problematic when it starts to disrupt your daily life, even in the absence of any real threat. This is when it may be categorized as an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders can have various causes, including a combination of genetic, environmental, and neurological factors. Common contributing factors include:

• Family history of anxiety disorders
• Traumatic experiences
• Chronic stress
• Brain chemistry imbalances
• Substance abuse
• Medical conditions

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders: The symptoms of anxiety disorders can vary depending on the specific disorder but often include:

• Excessive worry or fear
• Restlessness or irritability
• Muscle tension
• Sleep disturbances
• Difficulty concentrating
• Panic attacks
• Avoidance of anxiety-inducing situations

Types of Anxiety Disorders:

There are several different types of anxiety disorders, each with its own unique characteristics and triggers. Here are a few common ones:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): GAD involves excessive, persistent worry about various aspects of life, including work, relationships, and personal issues. These worries are often unrealistic and hard to control.
• Social Anxiety Disorder: People with social anxiety disorder experience intense fear and self-consciousness in social situations, leading to avoidance of such gatherings.
• Panic Disorder: Panic disorder is characterized by sudden, unexpected panic attacks. These attacks are often accompanied by physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat, sweating, and a sense of impending doom.
• Specific Phobias: Specific phobias involve an intense, irrational fear of a particular object or situation, such as spiders, flying, or heights.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): OCD is characterized by recurring, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that are performed to alleviate the anxiety associated with the obsessions.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): PTSD develops after exposure to a traumatic event and results in symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, and extreme anxiety.

​The Power of ERP Therapy

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy is the key to breaking free from the grip of anxiety. It’s a highly effective, evidence-based treatment that can transform your life. ERP helps you confront your fears and obsessions in a controlled and systematic way, without engaging in your usual safety behaviors.

Why Choose Us?

Our experienced therapist specializes in ERP therapy and will guide you through every step of the process. Your therapist will tailor your therapy to your unique needs and goals, ensuring your journey is as effective as it is transformative. ERP therapy isn’t just about symptom management; it’s about creating lasting, positive changes in your life. Your therapist will give you the tools you need to overcome anxiety, even after treatment is complete.