While it is completely normal to feel anxious sometimes, it does not have to be a defining part of your life. When anxiety begins to negatively impact your life, it may be time to speak with a professional about anxiety counseling and how it can help you take control of your life. At New Hope Counseling in Palatine, our counselors have the training and knowledge you need to successfully treat and overcome your anxiety. Keep reading to learn more about anxiety, what some of the symptoms look like, and how talking to a therapist can help you learn how to handle the very real symptoms of this mental health issue.

Signs of Anxiety

You might be dealing with anxiety if you feel:

• Worried all the time
• Extremely negative about your life and situations you encounter
• Uncertain about almost everything
• Restless, stressed out, or panicky

The difference between dealing with a normal stretch of anxiety and a possible anxiety disorder has to do with the causes, or lack of causes, of your anxiety. An anxiety disorder may make you feel stressed out and anxious even about things that don’t warrant the stress. Anxiety can be especially vicious because it creates a loop of thoughts and feelings that constantly feed back into themselves, thereby increasing these negative feelings. When these feelings begin to negatively impact your life, it is time to do something about them.

There are several types of anxiety disorders that you may be affected by, including:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Someone with generalized anxiety disorder manifests unwarranted amounts of anxiety for months at a time. This extended period of anxiety can cause many unwanted symptoms, including sleep issues, a hard time controlling worries, an inability to concentrate, and restlessness.

Panic Disorder

Unexpected and persistent panic attacks are the hallmark of panic disorder. During an attack, the sufferer might feel as if they are out of control of their body and mind, their heart might beat hard and fast, and they could sweat, shake, and even lose their breath. Even after an attack has finished, anxiety continues because of the fear of when and where the next one could occur persists.

Social Anxiety Disorder

If someone has a social anxiety disorder, they will do everything they can to avoid social situations where they feel they might be embarrassed or rejected by other people. This disorder often makes itself worse by forcing the sufferer to further shun social interactions for fear of being judged. This lack of exposure to other people often creates difficulties when it comes to making new friends or even holding down a job.

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In addition to the mental symptoms of anxiety, physical symptoms of anxiety include:

• Difficulty sleeping
• Muscle soreness and tension
• Irritability
• Twitchiness
• Panic attacks

While one or two of these symptoms may seem manageable to you for a time, eventually they will grow worse and worse if they aren’t treated.

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If you have anxiety, it may be accompanied by other mental health conditions that are also creating issues. Try keeping track of your symptoms in a journal so your counselor or therapist can help identify anxiety correctly, especially if you aren’t sure if you are dealing with anxiety, depression, or something else. Recording your symptoms, when they occur, and what was happening before, during, and after you notice them will help to clearly identify what is going on.

Contact New Hope Counseling in Palatine today to learn more about the ways that we can help you deal with and overcome your anxiety. Our counselors are here to help you find the best ways for you to deal with any problems that you are having. We don’t believe that there is one way to treat patients because everyone is unique and deserves to be treated that way. Contact us today to set up an appointment.