– Myths About Anxiety

Last Updated on May 9, 2016 by Chris Roberts

SOME HELPFUL TIPS FOR KNOWING ABOUT ANXIETY CAUSES AND AILMENTS THROUGH INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING IN NASHVILLE, TN

Resource: Huffingtonpost.com. An article online entitled, “10 Things People Get Wrong About Anxiety,” by Lindsey Holmes. March 12, 2014

There is a fantastic article about anxiety on the Huffington Post website called, “10 Things People Get Wrong About Anxiety” at huffingtonpost.com. The premise of the article helps clarify to others what this disorder and its symptoms really mean. But, the article can help those suffering with anxiety feel more calm and normal. Anxiety is one of the most prevalent forms of psychological disorders in the United States, yet is also one of the least treated. The article does a great job describing how and why this happens.

Individual counseling can be an extremely helpful place for people with anxiety to get a better grip on what their condition entails and how it may affect them and those around them. On a fundamental level, individual counseling can help an individual learn the facts about the disorder, rather than stereotypical notions of what most people believe about it. In the article, Ms. Holmes writes, “Anxiety disorders affect approximately 40 million American adults per year, which is about 18 percent of the country’s population. According to Baker, anxiety disorders are also some of the most prevalent pediatric psychological conditions.” (Holmes) This is a phenomenally important set of facts that needs to be taken seriously.   Basically, 1 in 5 adults in the United States suffers from a discomforting form of anxiety. If you have anxiety YOU ARE NOT ALONE. You are not even that abnormal, statistically speaking.   This can be incredibly helpful for someone suffering from anxiety, because oftentimes anxiety forces those with the disorder to be less open and direct about their condition because of their hyper-alertness. Just knowing there are many, many others out there can create a new culture of curiosity and confidence. Further, children suffering from this disorder go even less detected and anxiety can “have the potential to lead to other illnesses such as depression and substance abuse problems.” (Holmes) The longer the disorder is left unattended, the worse it can become.

At its basis, individual counseling for anxiety will work to alleviate some or most of the symptoms. If you have anxiety, it will never completely go away. It is a part of who you are. But, you can learn much better ways of managing the disorder, which will cause its impact on you to severely decrease. However, unattended, anxiety can get worse and lead to other, more devastating disorders and discomforts. Holmes writes that one of the common myths about anxiety is that “The disorder will resolve on its own.” (Holmes) This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, as we have mentioned before, the opposite usually happens.

Individual counseling for anxiety can also teach those you love how to best help when you are suffering with a bout of anxiety. One of the myths listed by Holmes states, “There’s nothing you can do to help an anxious person relax.” This is a complicated statement. As a matter of fact, no one can actually MAKE them relax. There is ultimately nothing you can do as a friend or family member to make an anxious person calm down. They must make the decision and effort on their own to take measures to manage their anxiety. However, there are better ways of being with an anxious person that provides a better opportunities for an anxious person to exercise those calming mechanisms. For instance, simply asking a person, “Are you feeling anxious?” is tremendously helpful, because it allows both people to get on the same page. If they say, “Yes,” then you can calmly ask, “Is there anything I can do that would be helpful for you?” As the person trying to help, the single most important thing you can do is remain calm. If you are trying to help and your energy raises, you will inevitably put more pressure on the person with anxiety which will increase the anxiety they are experiencing. Remember, as a person trying to help another person with anxiety, your questions must be calm and you must be open to hearing “No.” The more you try to force your way in to the situation, the worse it is going to get for the person suffering with anxiety.

If you or someone you know is suffering with anxiety, individual counseling can be an effective tool for managing the discomfort of this disorder. There are many people who suffer from this disorder and there is help. If you live in the Nashville area, there are many qualified individual anxiety counselors available to help you.