Treating Anxiety
Do You Wake Up Anxious About the Coming Day?
- Are you constantly worried about a conflict-ridden relationship, whether with a friend, family member, colleague, or significant other?
- Do you feel undervalued at work and unable to assert yourself with colleagues, even if it’s positive, normal, and appropriate?
- Do you struggle with social anxiety to the point that you avoid social situations, even though you long for connection?
- Whether you travel by train, by car, or on foot, does attempting to get from Point A to Point B set your heart pounding and your stomach aching?
- Are you always expecting to fail and wondering why you even try?
- Do you wish you felt at ease and comfortable in your own skin, no matter what the setting or challenge?
- Do you start to sweat thinking about dealing with everyday activities in the outside world, such as going shopping, interacting with someone at work, or taking a class?
Regardless of how it’s showing up in your life, anxiety might seem like a barrier preventing you from fully experiencing your potential. You may be struggling with such intense, consistent worry that you’ve developed physical symptoms, such as stomach aches, nausea, or dizziness. And, when life grows stressful, these looping worries might feel extremely uncomfortable, and at worst, completely inhibiting and debilitating.
Perhaps you feel guilty for complaining about your fears and emotions, especially if your feelings have been dismissed in the past. You may feel alone, alienated, and unable to trust anyone—even yourself.
You may compare yourself unfavorably to others, wondering why it seems so much easier for other people to get through life with so many accomplishments while you’re barely keeping your head above water. Maybe you sense failure looming no matter how hard you try. In an attempt to cope with all of this internal fear and chaos, you may have even developed repetitive behaviors and rituals that seem to give order to your world, or perhaps you avoid interactions all together.
Whatever Your Reasons For Struggling With Anxiety, You Are Not Alone!
Although you may feel isolated and alone, the truth is, a high percentage of people experience some level of anxiety.
Anxiety exists on a continuum, from mild and situational to severe and pervasive. Situational anxiety can sometimes be alleviated simply by making a change in your life. Conversely, anxiety can swarm over your head at every moment and in every encounter, even the most mundane. This is true whether you’re on the train to work, at school, out with friends, et cetera.
The truth is, anxiety, in “normal” doses, is good for us. It keeps us safe, and in many ways, serves a purpose for survival and achievement. For example, it helps us stop at red lights. Unfortunately, the stresses of our modern world can kick anxiety into overdrive, to varying degrees. To top it all off, many of us struggle with a legacy of anxiety that is multigenerational.
Here’s the most important thing to understand:
So many people who seem like they have it all figured out, actually feel trapped in confusion and overwhelm. Like you, they seek relief from the tense shoulders, panic attacks, and sleepless nights. Like you, they want to engage in self-exploration and feel powerful, confident, and competent in the direction of their lives. Like you, they want respect and to feel valued, loved, and cared for.
If this sounds familiar, you are likely searching for a new sense of calm. We’re here to help.
Anxiety Therapy Can Lead To Freedom and Empowerment
We are experienced, empathetic therapists with eclectic backgrounds, mixing various theories and modalities, including psychodynamic and psychoanalytic psychotherapy. This means that our work involves investigating anxiety’s root causes, such as early childhood experiences, genetic tendencies, and/or developmental trauma. In sessions, we draw connections between the past and the here and now, making the unconscious conscious. Then, capitalizing on this deep understanding, we help you identify and address patterns feeding your anxiety today.
For example, it could be that your occupation or personal relationship is fueling tension and chaos, and you feel an urge to remove yourself from that situation. As psychotherapists, we help you discern whether it’s time to make external changes, or whether you can simply learn to make cognitive and emotional changes that allow you to thrive in challenging situations and settings. More than likely, the latter approach offers a more profound sense of empowerment. In therapy, we can help you develop the tools that allow you to stop avoiding life and start thriving. Most significantly, you can find internal peace.
We work differently with different people. Some overthink and must stop the intellectualizing; some feel so intensely that there’s little room for thought. Our anxiety therapy approach is individualized to address differences in internal makeup. We are versatile, open-minded therapists who will adapt to your needs in the moment, balancing accountability and empathy. No matter how you feel when you arrive in session, you can expect to spend your time cultivating a more accurate, compassionate self-perception.
Ultimately, it’s our belief that the best antidote to anxiety is knowing oneself. Then, you can realize who you want to be, rather than accepting you’ve learned to be.
You May Have Questions About Anxiety Therapy
No one listens to me when I try to talk about my anxiety. It seems like I can’t find help anywhere.
The truth is, anxiety can be tough to understand. When faced with a loved one’s distress, it’s difficult for anyone who is not a professional to know the right thing to say or do. That is why it’s important to seek effective anxiety treatment.
My grandfather, aunt, sister, brother, mother, etc. suffer from anxiety. Is there any chance I can conquer the racing fears stuck in my DNA?
Our psychoanalytic background addresses the legacy of anxiety and helps you come to terms with the inherited symptoms to break that cycle. This deep work may not be easy or immediate, but it can be very effective for those who have carried anxiety in their families for generations.
Even if you think you are the first person in your family to struggle with anxiety, the truth is that previous generations rarely spoke about mental health. It’s still possible that you are repeating patterns you learned long ago. We can help you stop repeating the past and dreading the future.
Shouldn’t I just quit my job/move/break up with my partner? These are the causes of my anxiety, after all.
The truth is, in most cases, even when you remove yourself from an especially stressful situation, you bring your anxiety with you.
Our approach to anxiety therapy allows you to view your situations, and the world at large, through a more accurate and less distorted lens. You may come to understand that you are more capable than you ever thought, and you can thrive in whatever setting you find yourself.
A New Beginning Awaits You
Are you ready to do some real inner work, or have you already done work and want to continue on that positive path? Are you willing, curious about yourself, and ready to make a commitment to being the best version of you? If you’ve answered yes to these questions, we’re here to help you address your anxiety. It is possible to thrive and feel comfortable in your skin, no matter where you find yourself.
We invite you to reach out to us by calling 646-883-8063 or by filling out the form under “contact us.” Our offices are conveniently located in midtown Manhattan and very accessible by subway or other means. We look forward to consulting with you as we begin this journey into a new phase of your life, full of self-discovery and growth.
