Counselling Service for You

Anxiety is characterised by feelings of distress and increased worry. Your senses may be overtaken by extreme fear, terror or panic as it niggles at the borders of your consciousness. Counselling Service for You in Sylvania, New South Wales, offers evidence-based counselling techniques that are highly effective in treating the clinical signs and causes of generalised anxiety.

Our services include Mindfulness-Based Therapy and Narrative Therapy. However, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is at the heart of Gaye's treatment approach because it has been shown to be the most effective treatment for generalised anxiety, outperforming medication and relaxation training. CBT is an effective tool for achieving goals in the short and long term.

When should you think about getting anxiety treatment?

Anxiety is a completely normal reaction to stress whenever you are threatened or feel vulnerable. When faced with a difficult situation, your body and mind often react automatically - your heart rate rises, your breathing quickens, and your sympathetic nervous system releases a flood of stress hormones.

Physical symptoms of anxiety usually subside after the stressful situation has passed. However, for many people, anxiety persists long after it is no longer required. A long period of anxiety can seriously impair your ability to function in daily life, as well as strain your relationships. This situation would necessitate the assistance of a professional.

Understanding generalised anxiety and panic attacks

Anxiety can be an overarching reaction to stress, or it can be triggered by specific situations or events. It is associated with the feeling as if something terrible is about to happen in any given situation. You may become preoccupied with mundane issues such as finances, work or relationships, and you may constantly worry even without any logical reason.

Anxiety amplifies emotional intensity and is frequently accompanied by a body-based (somatic) panic response. A panic attack can happen suddenly, but it is usually the result of a build-up of stress. Panic is a severe form of anxiety in which the body experiences a brief period of intense, fearful hyper-arousal.

People who are panicking could fear that they are having a heart attack, are losing control of their physical functions, or are losing their sense of reality. The physical symptoms of a panic attack normally go away within a few minutes, but the anxiety and dread that go along with it may take much longer to go away.

Common symptoms of anxiety

• Tense muscles
• Restlessness
• Easily startled
• Irritability
• Increased heart rate and breathing
• Trembling
• Hot flushes and/or cold chills
• Feeling lightheaded or weak
• Sleep issues
• Sweating profusely
• Chest and abdominal pains
• Feelings of tension and stress
• Feeling overwhelmed by thoughts and feelings
• Rumination
• Worrying unnecessarily over "what if’s"
• Memory and concentration problems
• Fear and unease
• Unwanted intrusive thoughts and images
• Fear of losing control, fainting or dying

If anxiety is not treated, it often causes social withdrawal and isolation.

Reach out to Gaye by phone or via Zoom to break free from the captivity of anxiety.