What is Anxiety?
Post by Rachel Eby, PhD, Licensed Psychologist | Feb 22, 2022 | Therapy, Anxiety
Anxiety...
It can feel like you're both wired and paralyzed. Some of it feels helpful - even necessary. "If I don't feel anxious, I won't be motivated to get everything done!" It can also be incredibly distracting and feel like it's stealing your peace, joy, relaxation, and of course, sleep. It can show-up as panic attacks where you feel suddenly panicked, tense, shakey, unable to breath. People sometimes even feel like they're dying or feel like they're losing control of their bodies. It can be terrifying.
When I work with people in therapy who are struggling with anxiety, I often see that just getting started with therapy - knowing you're going to see your therapist once a week, you're doing something to help yourself - can often bring a sense of relief and comfort.
When you're feeling super scattered, distracted, and overwhelmed with anxiety, it can be hard to even know where to start. Some people have found a lot of help from having a structured format like a empirically-based therapeutic workbook. These are a few that I've found to be excellent, empirically-based tools, that have helped provide structure, focus, direction, and help to tangibly see the progress they're making in therapy. It also gives you concrete action to focus on in between sessions. Plus, research has shown super powerful effects from adding workbooks to therapy. If we use a workbook, my job is to help you process the content and help you apply it to your specific experience.
If you're ready to get some empathic support or make a change in your life, reach out to schedule a free introductory video call today to see how we might work together.
Example workbooks
Most publications by New Harbinger have been excellent, empirically-based tools. You can search by category based on what you're most interested in. A few of my favorites are: