Anxiety is the most common issue that brings people into treatment. We all have things in our lives that contribute to feeling fearful and anxious. It is a very human experience! However, while occasional anxiety is a normal part of life and in some instances can be protective or motivating, like preparing for a test, or sounding the alarm regarding an unsafe environment, excessive or persistent anxiety that interferes with daily functioning may indicate an anxiety disorder.

Individuals with anxiety disorders may experience physical symptoms like increased heart rate, sweating, trembling, muscle tension, and gastrointestinal discomfort. They may also have racing thoughts, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and avoidance behaviors.

Anxiety thrives off uncertainty about future situations or events, and/or how one might be perceived, evaluated or judged by others in social settings. And in some cases, anxiety may involve fixating on something that happened in the past to predict what COULD happen in the future. Anxiety, like depression, focuses on negative thoughts about oneself, a situation and/or others.