Susan Drysdale, PhD

We can work together to find solutions to your problems.

Anxiety

Symptoms of anxiety or panic include the following:

  • heart palpitations or pounding heart

  • sweating

  • shaking or trembling

  • shortness of breath

  • chest pain

  • nausea or abdominal distress

  • dizziness, lightheadedness

  • feeling detached from self

  • feelings of unreality

  • fear of losing control or going crazy

  • fear of dying

  • numbness or tingling sensations

  • chills or hot flashes

Anxiety may be an understandable and expected reaction to events in our lives. The usefulness and necessity of counseling is indicated by the intensity of the symptoms, their frequency, the amount of distress they cause, the extent to which daily functioning is impaired, the presence of a definitive cause, and one's ability to cope with the symptoms.

📽️ Watch my video on Coping with The New Craziness on Facebook.

📽️ Watch my video on How an understanding of the nervous system can help us deal with the anxiety associated with stressful times on YouTube.

Since the symptoms of anxiety mimic many physiological problems, it is important to receive a full medical checkup if you experience these symptoms. Once it has been established that anxiety is at the root of the problem, counseling may be appropriate. Let's work together to find solutions to your problems.

Therapy will provide you with an understanding of the biopsychosocial roots of the anxiety: inherited traits, past psychological trauma, or present environmental factors. You will learn techniques to manage the symptoms, such as:

  • staying in the moment

  • using distraction

  • exercising to burn the adrenaline

  • not pushing the feelings away

  • keeping in mind that the sensations will pass

  • understanding that the feelings cannot physically hurt you

  • practicing deep slow "belly" breathing

Medication can be a useful additional tool when symptoms are severe and counseling alone does not bring the needed relief.

Contact me now so that I can help you find solutions.