As you spend more time discussing goals and challenges with your Talkspace therapist, you may have questions or are interested in learning more about specific mental health topics and conditions. The Talkspace Bookshelf offers up-to-date mental health information directly from our behavioral health team to provide a better understanding of condition origins, diagnoses, various forms a condition may take, and different treatment options. Feel free to use this resource as a starting point to open up a dialogue and pose questions for your Talkspace therapist.
Anxiety is a common and natural human reaction that people experience both in their everyday lives, and at particular moments of heightened experience. Some levels of anxiety can be healthy and provide motivation to problem solve around concerning issues. When anxiety takes control over one’s day-to-day experience and causes significant disruption in one’s daily life it may require the attention of a mental health professional.
Those with anxiety disorders may experience disruption in their social lives, family, or employment.
Anxiety disorders are some of the most common mental health diagnoses around the world. In the United States, about 18% of the population lives with an anxiety disorder within a 12 month period.
Anxiety disorders cover a wide range of concerns and include diagnoses such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Agoraphobia, and others.
Anxiety disorders are often characterized by an ongoing, disruptive pattern of thinking about certain ideas, topics, or experiences. Many people with anxiety disorders may experience the following:
- Excessive rumination or worry
- Difficulty stopping undesired thoughts
- A desire to avoid certain situations, people, or things
- Chest pain or other discomfort
- Stomach pain or intestinal distress
- Feeling dizzy and/or fainting
- Trembling or shaking
- Shortness of breath
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is most often characterized by ongoing worry, rumination, or preoccupation with certain thoughts. This can be related to general feelings of unease and can also be specific to concerns about health, interpersonal relationships, and job or school performance.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder can be a debilitating condition that is defined as an experience of an “abrupt surge of intense fear,” commonly referred to as panic attacks. Those with panic disorder often describe feeling intense, and unexpected moments of panic either from anxious or relaxed states. Common symptoms include: trembling, shaking, heart palpitations, sweating, fear of choking, pain or other discomfort, feeling dizzy, feeling a lost of sudden control, and others.
It should also be noted that those without a diagnosis of Panic Disorder may also experience panic attacks.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder is an internal emotional experience of heightened anxiety and/or panic when in, or when thinking about, interactions in social settings. Some who experience social anxiety may find themselves isolating or avoiding desired social interaction due to feelings of being negatively judged or criticized.
Agoraphobia
People with agoraphobia tend to experience an intense fear of public spaces, which can lead to significant and persistent isolation and deterioration of social relationships. Symptoms may include intense anxiety or fear of using public transportation, being in small enclosed spaces, being in wide open spaces, waiting in lines, or fear of leaving the home.
Treatments for Anxiety Disorders
In practice, many therapists use a range of techniques, approaches, and strategies to treat anxiety. Some of the most common and recommended sources of treatment include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal (or relational) Therapy, and mindfulness based therapy also known as Mindfulness Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (MBCBT)
CBT
CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, is the most recommended course of treatment for anxiety disorders. Treatment may include help in identifying, labeling and altering thought patterns, exposure and desensitization, and engaging in healthier coping strategies to lessen the overall negative impact of anxiety.
Interpersonal Psychotherapy
Interpersonal or relationally focused therapy can also be helpful for those living with anxiety disorders, in particular when the root causes are centered around interactions with others. Treatment may include an exploration of ways in which the person interacts with others and helpful recommendations on new ways of engagement.
Mindfulness based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Mindfulness based therapy is an offshoot of CBT that incorporates the body as a tool for intervention and instrument for change. MBCBT strategies or techniques may include mindful breathing, meditation, guided visualization, and more.
Therapeutic Note
Remember your therapist is here to help you figure out the best way to address your concerns. Therapy works best when it is a collaboration between you and your therapist. It is important to be open, honest, and an active participant in this process. Talk to your therapist about your goals for therapy so that together you can come up with the best plan to achieve your goals.
Questions You Might Have For Your Talkspace Therapist
- What caused my anxiety in the first place?
- How do I know what kind of anxiety disorder I have?
- Is this curable or will I always feel this way?
- How can I tell the difference between a panic attack and anxiety?
Sources
Any Anxiety Disorder Among Adults. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2017
Association, A.P.. "Anxiety Disorders." Desk Reference to the Diagnostic Criteria From DSM-5®. Washington: American Psychiatric Publishing, 2014. 115-128.