MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING, PLLC

Anxiety

 

Anxiety can range in severity and circumstance, with the most common forms of anxiety being generalized anxiety, panic attacks/panic disorder, and social anxiety. Other forms of anxiety can also include agoraphobia, which is a fear of being trapped or embarrassed somewhere or specific phobias, such as fears of insects or needles. Generally, anxiety includes feelings of nervousness, excessive worry, or stress. It can also include fears of being in social settings, which would be the case for social anxiety or sudden and intense feelings of panic, which would be the case with individuals suffering from panic attacks/panic disorder.

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Treatment for anxiety begins by identifying the root causes for the anxiety through an exploration of the past and present. This exploration helps to build trust and works towards identifying possible solutions that may have worked in the past or currently have been helping. Therapy would further include an introduction to structured approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical-behavioral therapy, or acceptance and commitment therapy. These approaches help to identify thought patterns that may be limiting you and leading you to experience anxiety and work towards changing/adjusting them. 

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Addiction

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Addiction can be characterized as either chemical or process addictions. Chemical addictions can include addiction to substances such as alcohol, cocaine, or marijuana. Process addictions can include addiction to pornography/sex, gambling, food, or even shopping. When addressing addictions, it is important to identify areas of resistance to change and work towards resolving them. 

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Therapy for addiction can be approached through either complete abstinence or harm reduction. With complete abstinence, the goal is to stop completely using a particular substance or process. With harm reduction, the goal is to identify the relationship that someone has with a particular substance or process and work towards regulating its usage. Harm reduction is very flexible in that the client with the therapist will work to gauge what is an appropriate level of usage.

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In addition, an approach that explores the past and present can be helpful in identifying a core reason for use, and helps in the building of trust and development of possible solutions. Therapy would further include an introduction to structured approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical-behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, or rational-emotive therapy. These approaches will help in identifying specific thought patterns that are leading to use and work towards helping to limit or eliminate use altogether. 

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Anger Management

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Anger can suddenly appear and may either be based on something that happened in the past, something that is happening right now, or a fear or anxiety about something that could happen in the future. Sometimes anger can be sudden and be caused by an underlying related condition such as depression or anxiety, or even a relationship issue. At other times, anger issues can be related to a condition called intermittent explosive disorder, which is characterized by sudden outbursts, anger/rage, and property damage. 

 

The consequences related to anger can be significant and can include loss of job, family, position, or influence. However, anger is an issue that can be successfully addressed through the use of a solutions-focused approach which helps to identify issues that can be contributing to anger, and development of coping skills to help with future instances of anger. "Anger management" as it is popularly called works on identifying patterns and rectifying these patterns, by developing healthier expressions of anger. It does not mean you will not be angry ever again or should suppress your anger. Instead, it works to identify a healthier relationship with your anger so that it is channeled in a way that can lead to a more fulfilling life, free from the consequences that negative anger can bring.