What is Anxiety?

Feeling afraid is a very normal and essential part of the human experience. In fact, anxiety serves a purpose and is functional. Anxiety helps a person by getting them to work on time, safely crossing a busy street, and meeting everyday life demands as they arise.

Fear is a survival instinct, in fact when a realistically anticipated danger is perceived; the brain signals the autonomic nervous system that controls our fight/flight/freeze response working to keep us safe. However, anxiety can become problematic when one experiences intense, excessive, and persistent worry regarding everyday situations with the absence of true danger. Anxiety can manifest in many ways and becomes diagnosable when an individual has difficulty coping in their daily life due to the intensity and frequency of their anxiety symptoms.

Some common types of adult anxiety disorders include the following:

• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Panic disorder
• Social anxiety disorder (social phobia)
• Phobia-related disorders
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Health Anxiety

Common signs and symptoms of anxiety include but are not limited to:

• Racing or intrusive thoughts
• Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge
• Difficulty concentrating or controlling worries
• Trouble relaxing
• Feeling restless or unable to sit still
• Avoidant behavior
• Increased irritability or feeling easily annoyed
• Physical symptoms in the body, including racing heart, shakiness, excessive sweating, muscle tension
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Panic Attacks
• Feeling afraid that something awful might happen

Is it Stress or Anxiety?

It’s understandable to confuse stress and anxiety, as they can present quite similarly. Both stress and anxiety are adaptable responses to life struggles. Anxiety and stress manifest in the body similarly. Both anxiety and stress trigger the fight/flight/freeze response that signals your body that you are under threat and that your body needs to respond accordingly. This sets off a chain of bodily reactions and sensations to prepare for fight/flight/freeze which can include but is certainly not limited to the following: muscle tension, increased heart rate, increase in rate and depth of breathing, widening pupils, nausea, and sweating. The key difference between stress and anxiety is that anxiety presents as ongoing and persistent worry despite the absence of a life stressor.

Women and Anxiety:

Women are twice as likely than men to experience anxiety in their lifetime, especially during life transitions which may include, but is certainly not limited to: beginning college, graduation, career changes, relationships, marriage, pregnancy, motherhood, infertility, breakups/divorce, and more. Ongoing anxiety and worry can negatively impact your relationships, hinder your career, and prevent you from enjoying and living your life to its fullest.

How Women’s Therapy Can Help Women with Anxiety:

Women’s therapy in NYC provides customized treatment to help you reduce your overall anxiety and allow you to live a more peaceful life with a restored sense of security and ease. Through women’s issues therapy, you’ll explore your thought patterns, feelings, and behaviors. In addition, tuning into your body cues in new ways promotes a deeper sense of understanding of your anxiety and what keeps it going. With the support of a women’s therapist in NYC, you’ll develop new tools and ways of thinking that are rooted in evidence-based treatment. Liz Yarock Psychotherapy utilizes a combination of psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, mindfulness, and mind-body approaches to identify and work towards realistic and attainable goals to best understand and cope with these feelings of anxiety and promote deeper relaxation.

Begin Women’s Therapy in NYC for Anxiety Issues Today:

Liz Yarock Psychotherapy is dedicated to helping women find relief from chronic anxiety and empowering women to live more authentic and peaceful lives. If you’re ready to begin the journey of women’s therapy, I am here for you.

Follow the steps below to get started:

• Schedule a consultation here.
• Read more about my approach.
• Schedule your first session!

Other Services I Offer as a NYC Women’s Issues Therapist

Liz Yarock Psychotherapy offers a range of services to support holistic well-being. From anxiety counseling and life transition therapy to women’s issues therapy, I provide tailored support using evidence-based approaches. I also offer depression counseling and highly sensitive person therapy. Whatever your needs, I’m here to support you on your journey toward living your most fulfilling and empowered life.