Therapy With Abby
Abby Hartman MS, NCC, LPC
EMDR Trained Therapist
&
Relationship & Couples Counselor
Anxiety Therapy Plano Texas
That moment before you got dropped off on the first day of school, before your big job interview, before that first date. That feeling you get in your stomach when you’re worried about how you performed at work, what someone else thinks of you, or maybe when you’re in the middle of a crowded grocery store. That feeling is your nervous system doing its job.. And that feeling is anxiety. Anxiety affects people in a wide variety of ways. For some, its racing thoughts. For others, it's a physical sensation. Anxiety can feel like you want to crawl out of your own skin. Addressing anxiety through therapy is important as the approach looks different for every person. I will help you identify your negative thought patterns and how these affect your everyday life. I will help you learn how to calm your body, to self-soothe when it feels like you can’t slow down or want to crawl out of your skin. There are so many different options to treat anxiety through therapy, so let’s get started.
Anxiety is the most common mental health disorder in the U.S. An estimated 40 million adults struggle with it every year, or roughly one in five adults. It’s no wonder, considering the multitude of stressors we face every day including work, family life, and current events. These external factors can contribute to anxiety, but so can genetics, brain chemistry, and one’s personality.
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Less than half of people with anxiety get any kind of treatment, although therapy is very effective in reducing or eliminating it. For my clients struggling with anxiety disorders, I use assessments to determine the type, severity, and potential causes of anxiety. I then match each client’s needs to the type of therapy best suited for them.
Too many people suffer in silence from anxiety. I started providing anxiety therapy in Dallas, Texas to give hope to those who find themselves stuck in never-ending cycles of worry.
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Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders
There are several different anxiety disorders, each with their own set of signs and symptoms. The specific anxiety disorder is important, because it plays a role in how best to treat it.
The most common anxiety disorders are listed below, along with a few symptoms as listed by the Mayo Clinic:
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Generalized anxiety disorder
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Persistent worries which are out of proportion to the situation
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Indecisiveness
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Being unable to “let go” of a fear or worry
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Difficulty concentrating
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Tiredness
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Insomnia
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Nausea
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Social anxiety disorder
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Fear of being judged negatively
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Worry about embarrassment
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Avoidance of social situations
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Analyzing social situations after they occur
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Trembling
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Sweating
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Dizziness
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Panic disorder
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Sense of impending doom
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Fear of losing control or of death
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Pounding heart rate
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Shortness of breath or sense of tightness in throat
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Feeling of unreality
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Numbness or tingling
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Chest pain
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Chills
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Hot flashes
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Specific phobias
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Feelings of intense fear and panic when thinking about or exposed to source of phobia
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Knowing your fear is irrational, but being powerless to control it
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Avoidance of the object of your phobia, or of any place or situation in which you could come into contact with it
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Nausea
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Dizziness or fainting
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Rapid heart rate
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Chest tightness
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Myths About Anxiety
One misconception around anxiety is that it’s the same thing as stress. Stress is normal and happens to everyone. Anxiety, on the other hand, can be debilitating and usually interferes with daily life. If you’re experiencing stress, you’ll feel better once the stressful situation has passed. Anxiety disorders are more irrational; you’ll feel anxious in situations that don’t call for it. It won’t go away, even after the perceived threat has passed. You will simply become anxious about something else.
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Another myth is that anxiety is often just a part of who someone is, and medication is the only way to “fix” it. Medication can help, but therapy is highly effective for anxiety. In fact, the American Psychological Association reports that therapy is more effective than medication according to research. Unlike other disorders, for which a combination of medication and therapy is most effective, adding medication to therapy doesn’t seem to have additional benefits.
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What is Therapy for Anxiety Like?
Anxiety therapy can look very different depending on the type and severity of anxiety you’re dealing with. That’s why I’ll start off our sessions with an assessment and diagnosis. We’ll talk about what you want to get out of therapy and what you envision for your life after treatment. A big part of therapy with me is finding hope you can live a calmer, healthier daily life. At the beginning of therapy, we’ll pinpoint what it’ll take to get you there and build a roadmap around it.
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Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is the most widely used and research-backed treatment for anxiety. It’s effective across all types of anxiety and for all levels of severity. CBT looks at the unique ways your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact with each other. In the case of anxiety, your anxious, fearful thoughts have a negative impact on your feelings, and therefore your behavior. Your behavior then reinforces your thoughts, and a cycle is formed that’s hard to break.
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Once you understand what your patterns are within this framework, I’ll help you learn to interrupt these patterns. We’ll do this through skill-building, reframing your thoughts, and other methods that we determine based on your assessment and goals.
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If, after reading more about anxiety disorders, you think you may be struggling with one, I can help you. I’m a locally based therapist in Dallas with openings for clients from all backgrounds. Therapy with me is confidential, affirmative, and collaborative. Please reach out to me today to book an appointment!