Anxiety Therapy in NYC

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health conditions, so if you’re feeling anxious, you’re not alone. Fortunately, anxiety is very responsive to treatment. A large body of research supports CBT for anxiety disorders. Dr. Williams has two decades of experience tailoring CBT to his clients to help them gain a greater sense of control over anxiety.

Overview

Brief periods of fear and worry are a normal part of life, but when anxiety is frequent and interferes with quality of life, it’s unhealthy. There several types of anxiety disorders, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Phobia disorders. Taken together, anxiety disorders are the most common mental health conditions in the United States. An estimated 31% of U.S. adults experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives, so if you’re experiencing anxiety, you’re not alone!

Risk Factors for Anxiety

Genetics, biology, and environmental factors can contribute to the development of anxiety disorders. Examples, of risk factors include a familial history of anxiety or other mental health disorders, being shy or nervous in new situations during childhood, and exposure to very stressful environmental events. Medical conditions, such as thyroid problems and some heart conditions, as well as caffeine and other substances or medications can also lead to or worsen anxiety.

Anxiety Symptoms

Anxiety and the Vicious Cycle of Avoidance

It makes sense that people avoid the things they fear, but avoidance is part of a vicious cycle in anxiety. The more a person avoids a situation that makes them anxious, the stronger the avoidance behavior becomes. You can think of anxiety as a false alarm for danger. When a person avoids a situation that feels dangerous but is objectively safe, it sort teaches the nervous system to do it more. The feeling of safety gets associated with the avoidance and on some level reinforces the idea that something bad would happen if the situation had been faced. Most treatments for anxiety involve breaking the avoidance cycle by changing the thoughts and behaviors associated with the avoidance. In addition to reinforcing unrealistic fears, avoidance behavior often causes other problems because it restricts the range of things the person can do. For example, a person who has a fear of flying avoids flying and finds it increasingly difficult to do, which limits their ability to travel. Anxiety can wear down close others and take a real toll on relationships.

Anxiety Therapy NYC

Dr. Williams has extensive experience treating anxiety. No two people are the same, and Dr. Williams will work with you to design a treatment approach tailored to your specific situation and goals. Together, you will identify unhelpful patterns that are keeping you stuck in the cycle of anxiety. You will learn skills to break those patterns and gain a greater sense of control over anxiety. Ultimately, you will find relief and a renewed sense of hope that you can live your best life.