What is anxiety?

When healthy survival mechanisms get stuck

Anxiety comes from an important and healthy function in the body. It comes from the body’s resilient ability to survive for thousands of years. When our bodies experience threat, it is important that the body is able to recognize the threat and respond to it in an effort to keep you safe. This was much more useful when humans were living more like other animals, submersed in a dangerous and unpredictable stimuli. However, in the modern world, these ingrained survival responses are less necessary.

Think of it as a primitive body residing in a modern world.

In the modern world, what often happens is that these survival mechanisms latch onto environmental cues that elicit often unnecessary bodily responses. When this happens, anxiety can be the result.

Is there a difference between worry and anxiety?

Worrying can be a healthy adaptive response. It can motivate us, help us to change our behavior, help us to take action when taking action feels hard. However, when worry takes over and begins to affect someone’s ability to work, play, study, ability to maintain healthy relationships, to care for oneself, etc., it can transform into anxiety. While there are different presentations of anxiety, many people experience chronic worry, bodily responses such as sweating or racing heart, racing thoughts, and more. Be sure to check with your counselor or mental health professional if you think you are experiencing anxiety.

Lansing Counseling offers counseling for anxiety

Our licensed anxiety therapists utilize evidence-based practices. This means that treatments used are supported by research. While healers have taken various forms within various world cultures throughout history, psychotherapy has been shown to be an effective and powerful treatment for psychological distress. Our therapists use treatments such as Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Interpersonal Process Therapy (IPT), Person-Centered Therapy, Behavioral interventions, and more. Typically, your counselor will integrate approaches to customize the best treatment approach for you individually. For more information about our anxiety counseling services in East Lansing, MI, contact us.

 

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