NU PSYCHOLOGY
Social anxiety disorder is when a person feels intense discomfort or anxiety around other people. Individuals may fear being evaluated or judged by others and will worry about being shamed, rejected, humiliated or ridiculed by people. In severe cases, people develop avoidant behaviours around social interaction though many people "power through" social gatherings, and experience the interactions with discomfort.
Socially anxious individuals often replay interactions with others, examining what they said or did, and vice versa. A good deal of time may be spent around ruminating on mistakes they may have made. This excessive amount of thought and rumination can cause a great deal of mental stress. The body will respond in these replays as if the interaction is happening live.
Social Anxiety Disorder
ANXIETY
NU Psychology supports individuals who are experiencing challenges related to Anxiety. Anxiety is a difficult world to live in. Repetitive worries and ruminating thoughts take up a lot of mental energy. Anxious thoughts are often processed as true, and the body reacts as such. This can create somatic symptoms such as stomach pain, nausea, headaches, muscle tension, tiredness, brain fog, and feelings of panic. NU Psychology is located in Calgary, AB. We support our clients to understand and and learn individualized coping methods. This can involve addressing the cognitive realm of anxiety, as well as tools to regulate the symptoms that follow. At NU Psychology individuals are supported to recognize and modify this response, as well as the thoughts that coincide with it. This often leads to a reduction of symptoms which supports the goal of neurobiological rewiring. Once our brain learns it is safe, anxiety will often follow suit and significantly subside. We are here to help with this process.
We all experience a range of emotions including worry, stress, and anxeity. Feeling anxious in response to various circumstances is normal and at times helpful. For some individuals, anxiety can be an overwhelming emotion that causes stress and consumes a lot of mental energy. At NU Psychology, we offer therapy for adults experiencing minor to excessive amounts of anxiety and stress. Some characteristics of anxiety can include excessive fear, avoidance of social gatherings, procrastination, restlessness, nervousness and difficulty in concentration. The stress brought on by anxiety can significantly affect an individual's mental and physical well-being. Excessive worrying over situations beyond our control can cause a great deal of discomfort and change the way we experience the world. Anxiety disorders can also lead to a variety of physical symptoms. This may involve muscle tension, fatigue, sweating, shakiness, numbness, and physical pain.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
NU Psychology supports individuals who are experiencing symptoms related to Generalized Anxiety Disorder or have a diagnosis of such. When people experience anxiety and excessively worry about things like school, studies, work, family and situations that are out of their control - it is often referred to Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Persistent worrying can lead to several physical issues such as tension, fatigue and stiffness, sleep issues and concentration issues. Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder often include overthinking, worrying about worst-case scenarios, experiencing difficulty with uncertainty, feelings of indecisiveness, and general fatigue due to stress. The worries related to Generalized Anxiety Disorder often feel true as they are related to real life concerns. The difference in GAD is the amount of time and space the worries take up. Often individuals are unaware of their anxiety as our thoughts are processed as real and true.
Panic Disorder
A panic attack is a sudden surge of discomfort and intense fear that causes mental distress and physical issues. Panic disorder is when an individual suffers from recurring panic attacks. These can be unexpected and can drastically alter an individual's day-to-day life. Some people can have panic attacks spontaneously with no trigger. This can be incredibly frightening and can feel like a medical emergency. Panic attacks can occur in the context of another psychological disorder such as PTSD or due to other mental health issues. Some common symptoms include excessive sweating, increased heart rate, dizziness, increased pressure or chest pain, fear of dying, loss of control, feeling detached from oneself and feeling uncomfortable due to uncertainty.
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Phobias
A phobia is an intense fear of certain specific objects or interactions that are usually out of proportion with the actual dangers involved. People who have these types of phobias tend to avoid their triggers as much as possible. Phobias are long-lasting and can have an adverse effect on the quality of life. People can have a phobia of certain animals, situations such as being in enclosed places, loud noises and medical procedures involving blood.
Agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder where a person fears feeling trapped when visiting certain places or being a part of certain situations. They might feel helpless or embarrassed. Some people can have panic disorders along with agoraphobia which causes a fair amount of anxiety even if faced with seemingly normal situations. Some of the symptoms of agoraphobia include the fear of crowds, fear of leaving the house alone and fear of being in enclosed public spaces. People suffering from agoraphobia always seek a companion to help them through fearful situations and in most cases, they will completely avoid any situation that triggers their agoraphobia altogether.
TYPES OF ANXIETY DISORDERS
Therapeutic Models
Anxiety is very treatable and generally responds well to therapeutic models such as CBT, Exposure Therapy, and ACT. Anxiety may be something an individual experiences from time to time or can be a disorder that requires specialized treatment. At NU Psychology, we support individuals with minor anxiety and stress as well as specific disorders related to anxiety..