Anxiety

Helping to slow things down, when they feel out of control.

Anxiety is our body’s automatic response to stressful situations. It’s a mixture of feelings that include fear, dread, and restlessness. Healthy anxiety keeps us safe and protected by alerting us to danger. This is something we all experience.

But, unhealthy anxiety is persistent, excessive, and disrupts daily functioning. It makes us afraid of threats that may not even be real. This is when we say someone has an anxiety disorder.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

While there are several types of anxiety disorders, some of the most common ones include:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

People with GAD experience constant and excessive worry about mundane issues such as health, work, and everyday life. They may have uncontrollable anxiety even without obvious reasons and expect the worst possible outcome in every situation.

Social Anxiety 

People with social anxiety experience intense fear of judgment and embarrassment in social situations. They are always preoccupied with the thought of being scrutinized and negatively perceived by others. This may cause them to monitor every move of theirs, or simply avoid social situations altogether.

Panic Disorder

People with panic disorder experience overwhelming fear which is accompanied by severe physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and breathlessness. These panic attacks can occur with or without a reason, causing people with the disorder to constantly be on edge.

Specific Phobia

People with specific phobias have an extreme fear of specific objects or situations, which are mostly harmless and pose no real threat. Despite this, people with specific phobias may actively avoid the phobic trigger, and experience severe distress simply by thinking about it.

Black and white close-up of an anxious woman sadly glancing to the side.

Causes of Anxiety

While there’s no one cause behind the onset of an anxiety disorder, several factors may contribute to its development. These include:

  • Trauma

  • Genetics or family history

  • Repeated exposure to stress

  • Brain chemistry

  • Health conditions (e.g. thyroid problems)

  • Substances (e.g. caffeine)

Symptoms of Anxiety

What sets an anxiety disorder apart from occasional anxiety is the intensity and frequency of the experienced symptoms. These symptoms can be physical and psychological in nature:

Physical Symptoms of Anxiety

  • Dizziness

  • Shortness of breath 

  • Rapid heartbeat

  • Nausea

  • Aches and pains

  • Fatigue 

  • Insomnia 

  • Digestive issues 

  • Substance abuse

Psychological Symptoms of Anxiety

  • Nervousness

  • Trouble concentrating 

  • Jumping to the worst conclusions

  • A feeling of impending doom 

  • Intense fear 

  • Avoidance 

  • Suicidal ideation

It’s important to reach out for help when any of these symptoms interfere with your daily functioning. Counselling can help. However, some people have high functioning anxiety, which means that they’re able to lead normal lives and complete their day-to-day tasks despite struggling with these symptoms. It’s equally important that they ask for help.

A view of an insomniac woman's legs and as she sits on her bed.

We Can Help

Located at 206 Ontario Street Stratford, we are local to Tavistock, New Hamburg, and the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Our clinicians also offer remote therapy across Ontario so that you can access the support you need - no matter where you are!

To get started you can fill out a contact form, call (226) 215-4244, or book an appointment online with one of our counsellors by clicking below.

We’re looking forward to supporting you!