What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety is an emotional state characterized by specific body sensations, patterns of thought, and emotions.
Anxiety starts in the mind as fear, worry, or stress and then presents itself as symptoms in the body. These symptoms include excessive fear that is out of proportion to what is being experienced in the present such as: feelings of tension in the body, worried thoughts, panic attacks, and physiological indicators such as increased blood pressure or heart rate.
People who experience anxiety report having persistent and excessive worry about various parts of life that they find difficult to control. The internal world for someone experiencing anxiety is one often marked by doubt, concern, and feelings of insecurity and being unsafe. These feelings and sensations cause many people to avoid certain situations or people out of worry that something bad will happen. Unfortunately, Christians are not exempt from the painful reality of anxiety.
Anxiety has become the most common mental issue in the U.S. It is estimated that roughly 40 million adults in the U.S., aged 18 and older, suffer from some form of anxiety that causes a disruption in their normal lives (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 2021). It is not just adults in the U.S. who experience anxiety; people of all ages and stages of life experience worries about things outside of their control. Anxiety is not restricted to people who have no faith or spirituality. The Barna Group has reported that nearly two thirds of American Christians will experience anxiety about their faith at some point in their lives. Within the Christian community, the millennial generation is reported to experience twice as much anxiety as any other generation observed in the study.
While describing the experience of anxiety is straightforward, the causes of anxiety are complex, layered, and nuanced (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013).
Stress in our lives that reaches the level of anxiety results from a combination of factors including genetics, life experiences, brain chemistry and personality traits. Complicating the matter can be the timing of when symptoms of anxiety present themselves. Sometimes anxiety is experienced after a significant and easily identifiable stressor such as the loss of a job, or a relationship betrayal. Other times anxiety is experienced after the build up of many seemingly insignificant events in life that slowly increase stress levels over time. Using diverse methodologies, researchers have identified many helpful tools to assist unique individuals to overcome anxiety related symptoms; there is no one ‘fix’ for all anxiety-based disorders.
The good news is that there is hope. While anxiety is uncomfortable, and sometimes scary, it is also an emotional state that most people will experience at some point in their life. Our well trained counselors work with people who are experiencing anxiety on a regular basis. They are very comfortable with the subject and the emotions that go along with anxiety. Counselors also have a range of tools that can be tailored to the individual. For Christians the Bible is often incorporated as part of treatment. Many passages of scripture address the topics of fear and worry.
If you are reading this blog post, you have most likely been experiencing symptoms for many years. The national average for a person to reach out for help from the time they first noticed symptoms is eleven years (nami.org). Reaching out for help can be difficult. The idea of sharing personal fears with a counselor can feel uncomfortable, which is why people wait so long to reach out for help. However, a good counselor understands the value of building a strong relationship with their clients in which they will feel comfortable sharing. When seeking help from a competent professional, one can expect to receive genuine care and understanding while being helped to build the necessary tools needed to reduce anxiety.
Check out our other blog on anxiety while sitting in traffic.
BEGIN ANXIETY TREATMENT IN NORTH TAMPA OR SOUTH TAMPA, FL TODAY
You deserve support in overcoming the issues that affect your mental health the most. Anxiety Treatment can offer a great deal of support when working with a professional. Our team of caring therapists can offer support from our North Tampa, FL office or our South Tampa, FL office. To start improving your relationship, follow these simple steps:
Meet with a caring therapist
Start developing the skills needed to battle anxiety
OTHER SERVICES OFFERED WITH CHRISTIAN COUNSELING OF TAMPA
Anxiety treatment isn't the only service offered by our Tampa, FL-based therapy practice. We understand the many ways your mental health may be affected. As a result, our team is happy to also offer child therapy, premarital counseling, Christian counseling, therapy for trauma, and therapy for depression. We use a variety of treatment modalities including CBT, ART, EFT, grief therapy, and more! Feel free to learn more about us by visiting our FAQ or blog today.