Anxiety Therapy
Anxiety therapy is a process. This process under the care of a psychotherapist can help you grow and transform so that you are living in the present without fear or anxiety.
Anxiety therapy can help you to gain insight into the root cause of your anxiety and process it with eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy. It gives you the time and space to process these difficulties by talking in counselling and psychotherapy.
It can help you to modify behaviours and thinking to mitigate anxiety symptoms as well as give you practical tools and lifestyle changes to better manage your life. We use an integrative and holistic approach to help you with anxiety. This includes different therapies as well as therapeutic interventions.
We all have anxious feelings from time to time from our experience of life. If you are feeling anxious, fearful, tense and worried most of the time when there is no obvious present trigger, it could mean that you are suffering from an anxiety disorder.
According to the Mental Health UK 1 in 10 people will be experiencing an anxiety disorder at any one time. That is an average of 8 million persons in the UK population. Less than 50% of people experiencing a general anxiety disorder access treatment.
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is what we might feel when we experience the fear emotion. It might be a feeling of impending doom, feeling worried, tense or panicky. It is caused by sympathetic arousal of the autonomic nervous system. This is more commonly known as fight or flight - stress response. When this response is triggered under genuinely stressful circumstances it is normal. It is designed to protect us and is a normal part of functioning. Perhaps you can recall being a small child having to take your first exam and feeling anxious? When we feel a sense of fear without a tangible threat we are talking about anxiety. If you feel stressed by the thought of a future event which you haven't encountered yet we are talking about anxiety.
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is what we might feel when we experience the fear emotion. It might be a feeling of impending doom, feeling worried, tense or panicky. It is caused by sympathetic arousal of the autonomic nervous system. This is more commonly known as fight or flight - stress response. When this response is triggered under genuinely stressful circumstances it is normal. It is designed to protect us and is a normal part of functioning. Perhaps you can recall being a small child having to take your first exam and feeling anxious?
When Does Anxiety Become A Mental Health Problem?
Anxiety becomes a mental health problem when anxiety symptoms are experienced:
- When there is no specific current threat
- When anxiety symptoms are particularly strong and last for long periods of time.
- When symptoms experienced are out of proportion with the current situation
- When you experience symptoms regularly and have panic and or anxiety attacks
- When your everyday functioning becomes difficult and you use maladaptive coping e.g. substance abuse
- When you can no longer feel a sense of relaxation and tranquility without a supportive crutch e.g. glass of wine
When Does Anxiety Become A Mental Health Problem?
Anxiety becomes a mental health problem when anxiety symptoms are experienced:
- When there is no specific current threat
- When anxiety symptoms are particularly strong and last for long periods of time.
- When symptoms experienced are out of proportion with the current situation
- When you experience symptoms regularly and have panic and or anxiety attacks
- When your everyday functioning becomes difficult and you use maladaptive coping e.g. substance abuse
- When you can no longer feel a sense of relaxation and tranquility without a supportive crutch e.g. glass of wine
What Causes An Anxiety Disorder & Who Is At Risk?
Anxiety disorders can be caused by a wide variety of influences. Examples might include: trauma, abuse, bullying, addiction, attachment difficulties, stressful life circumstances for exampe a long term health condition, societal stresses, for example inability to pay bills, change in circumstances or a life triggering event: for example a big T trauma. Younger people are at a higher risk of experiencing anxiety than older people and women are more likely to experience anxiety than men.
What Causes An Anxiety Disorder & Who Is At Risk?
Anxiety disorders can be caused by a wide variety of influences. Examples might include: trauma, abuse, bullying, addiction, attachment difficulties, stressful life circumstances for exampe a long term health condition, societal stresses, for example inability to pay bills, change in circumstances or a life triggering event: for example a big T trauma. Younger people are at a higher risk of experiencing anxiety than older people and women are more likely to experience anxiety than men.
Anxiety symptoms
Anxiety symptoms might manifest physically and or mentally.
Physical symptoms might include: panic attacks, sleep difficulties, hyperarousal, hypervigilance, irritability, fatigue, headaches, nail biting, or a sense of dread in the pit of your stomach.
Psychological symptoms might include intrusive thoughts, avoidance of triggering situations, obsessive thinking or worrying for a lot of the time.
Behavioural symptoms might include avoidance, irritability, restlessness, withdrawing, difficulty sleeping and an inability to relax.
Anxiety symptoms
Anxiety symptoms might manifest physically and or mentally.
Physical symptoms might include: panic attacks, sleep difficulties, hyperarousal, hypervigilance, irritability, fatigue, headaches, nail biting, or a sense of dread in the pit of your stomach.
Psychological symptoms might include intrusive thoughts, avoidance of triggering situations, obsessive thinking or worrying for a lot of the time.
Behavioural symptoms might include avoidance, irritability, restlessness, withdrawing, difficulty sleeping and an inability to relax.
Anxiety Disorders UK %
Professional help for anxiety
Matthew Alderton - Psychotherapist
MA, BSc, PG Dip, PG Dip Psych
Anxiety is very common in western culture especially with the pressures of everyday life. You might feel it comes and goes or fluctuates depending on the day. For some people it sticks around and makes everyday living very difficult. Anxiety is a common symptom of underlying trauma and a nervous system stuck in fight or flight. I utilise similar therapies as I do for trauma to help clients with anxiety. This involves somatic work, emdr therapy and practical changes. I work in a holistic way, taking into account the ecology of a person's life as well as their mind, body and soul. I work in an integrative way maintaining flexibility and taking the best from a broad range of approaches. I am personable, friendly and down to earth. I provide a safe, confidential, collaborative environment for you to work through your difficulty. I look forward to hearing from you.
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing therapy is the leading evidence based approach to trauma and PTSD. If your anxiety has a trauma at its root EMDR is an effective way to help you process this.
CPT Therapy
Cognitive processing therapy helps to address specific trauma related stuck points e.g. power and control, safety, intimacy etc. It can be used as an EMDR alternative and is homework based.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy provides a solid base to work from in relation to anxiety focused approaches. It can also help provide insight and understanding into the role of the psyche in relation to your experience of anxiety.
Body Psychotherapy
Body psychotherapy addresses somatic difficulties relating to anxiety. It is the crucible in which we use a number of different somatic interventions to help you with anxiety. These might include trauma release exercises, emotional freedom technique and body based practical help.
Anxiety Therapy Benefits
Present
If you are suffering from anxiety symptoms you are probably not spending much time in the present moment. A somatic approach can help restore balance and get you to live back in the present.
Connect
When we are worrying less we are able to connect with ourselves. When we connect with ourselves we worry less.
Symptom cessation
Anxiety therapy can help you to manage anxiety symptoms as well as reduce them. Feeling stressed or anxious is addictive but so is feeling, relaxed, happy and calm.
Happiness
As you move back into the present you will be able to get on with your life and bring happiness back into it.
Anxiety Therapy Benefits
Present
If you are suffering from anxiety symptoms you are probably not spending much time in the present moment. A somatic approach can help restore balance and get you to live back in the present.
Symptom Cessation
Anxiety therapy can help you to manage anxiety symptoms as well as reduce them. Feeling stressed or anxious is addictive but so is feeling, relaxed, happy and calm.
Connect
When we are worrying less we are able to connect with ourselves. When we connect with ourselves we worry less.
Happiness
As you move back into the present you will be able to get on with your life and bring happiness back into it.
Client's Experience Of Anxiety Therapy
Anxiety Therapy Online
It's not always easy to leave the house especially if you are experiencing anxiety symptoms. We offer anxiety therapy online to help clients who are unable to leave the house due to anxiety symptoms or phobia. You might like to have a look at our online therapy guide for anxiety below.
View Our Online Therapy For Anxiety Guide PDF
Anxiety Therapy London
If you live in London come and see me in picturesque Little Venice Paddington for anxiety therapy.
Anxiety Therapy Hertfordshire
If you live in North London or Herts come and see me in leafy green Cuffley Hertfordshire for anxiety therapy.
Therapy Enquiry
If you would like to book therapy with us or have a therapy enquiry please fill in our contact form.