Therapy for Anxiety
Living with Anxiety? Reclaim your Peace of mind
Do you constantly feel on-edge and worried about things that may go wrong? Anxiety as a mental health issue involves excessively feeling anxious and worried; to the extent that it becomes difficult to control and may affect one’s well being and functioning.
PULSE offers evidence-based therapy for anxiety by a clinical psychologist. These are psychotherapy interventions that have been supported by research as effective in reducing anxiety.
Benefits
Signs & Symptoms of Anxiety
Emotional
- Frequent feelings of anxiety or panic
- Irritability
- Stress
Cognitive
- Excessive worrying
- Irrational fears
- Negative thoughts
- Difficulty concentrating
Physical
- Restlessness
- Muscle tension
- Trembling
- Fatigue
- Sleep disturbance
Behavioural
- Avoidance of situations and places that may trigger anxiety
Experiencing some level of anxiety or some of these symptoms occasionally is a normal part of life. However, experiencing them frequently and excessively; to the extent that they are interfering with daily functioning or quality of life; may indicate the need for professional help.
Common Anxiety Conditions
Generalised Anxiety
Persistent and excessive worry about various everyday things, often without a specific cause.
Panic/Anxiety Attacks
Experiencing sudden and repeated episodes of intense fear, often accompanied by physical symptoms like chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and dizziness.
Social Anxiety
Excessive fear of social situations and scrutiny by others, leading to avoidance of social gatherings or interactions.
Substances / Medication-induced Anxiety
Experiencing anxiety as a withdrawal symptom from regular substance use (caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes, drugs or medication). It may make quitting attempts especially challenging.
How Psychotherapy Can Help with Anxiety
1. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
The premise of CBT is that the way we think has a direct impact on how we feel and behave, and vice versa.
Across various types of anxiety, there is usually a common thinking pattern of over-exaggerating the danger in various events or the likelihood of things going wrong. This triggers the excessive feelings of fear and anxiety.
A major part of CBT is helping people to learn to identify when their thoughts are exaggerated, and to change their thoughts to more realistic, helpful ones. This can have an immediate effect on reducing the feelings of anxiety.
2. Exposure Therapy
Another common tendency in anxiety conditions is to avoid the specific situations, people or places that tend to trigger anxiety. For example, someone with social anxiety may avoid all social gatherings at work.
While avoidance is a natural reaction, it worsens anxiety in the long run. Recovery from anxiety usually requires people to face situations they have been avoiding.
Exposure therapy is a part of CBT that involves gradually exposing people to the things they fear and learning overcome their anxiety through manageable steps.
3. Psychoeducation
Having a solid understanding of your condition, triggers and how treatment works is key to being able to successfully manage it. As part of therapy, our psychologist will educate you on:
- The condition, your symptoms and your triggers in daily life.
- Intervention strategies and an overview of your therapy plan.