Breaking Free from the Grip of Anxiety: Overcoming Fear and Worry

ByGabriele Hilberg

If you have recently been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, it is entirely understandable to feel uneasy about it. The diagnosis may have caused you to feel even more fear and worry than before. However, anxiety is not going to control your life forever. There are ways to manage it and overcome your fears and concerns.

Take a deep breath and remind yourself that there is hope. By learning techniques and skills to soothe yourself when your anxiety spikes, you can gradually get used to a new normal. With time and practice, you can begin to feel more in control of your thoughts and emotions. 

What Is My First Step?

The important thing to remember is that you don’t have to face this alone. Resources are available to help you; seeking support is a sign of strength. With that fact in mind, your first step should be to research and find a therapist who specializes in anxiety disorders.

Why Do I Need A therapist?

therapist writing in notebook

At this point, you may be wondering why you shouldn’t manage your anxiety on your own. Understanding your anxiety disorder, its triggers, and how you can manage it is a process. You will need a trained anxiety specialist to guide you through the journey for you to tame the symptoms of anxiety properly.

Finding A Therapist

When looking for experienced therapists in your area, certain criteria need to be met. While performing your research, make sure you hit the following points:

  • Make sure the therapist you select specializes in anxiety disorders.
  • Check to see if they take your insurance or offer payment plans.
  • Look into the methods they utilize and see if they resonate with you.
  • It also doesn’t hurt to check their credentials.
  • Do they offer appointment services that fit your schedule? (Online, In-person, Phone call)

Setting Up An Appointment

Many therapeutic practices offer free phone consultations to get an idea of the issues you face and to see if it is a good fit. Having a good connection and rapport with your anxiety therapist is crucial. Otherwise, the therapy won’t be as effective. 

Utilize the free consultation. If the call goes well, you can move forward. If you didn’t feel good about the call, you can always do more research and find another therapist. 

Overcoming The Fear And Worry

If you have an anxiety disorder, you may already loathe the fact that you have to call and make an appointment. However, doing so is the first step to your recovery. Once you complete that step, pat yourself on the back and rest assured that help will happen.

But what do you do in the meantime? How do you break free from the grip of anxiety? Your therapist will be your guide to finding that out. However, there are things you can do to prepare.

  • Jot down important notes to relay to your therapist (when your anxiety started, any known triggers and symptoms).
  • Perform deep breathing exercises to calm anxiety flare-ups (this is a common technique used by therapists).
  • Prepare yourself to talk about your problem.

Doing some of these things before your appointment can help you get the proper healing mindset and can take some of the fear and worry away. Oftentimes, anxiety becomes further triggered by having to wait, so these are some active steps you can take during the interim.

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You don’t have to live with continuous fear and worry. All you have to do is decide that enough is enough and take that first step.

If you would like to learn more about anxiety and effective strategies for managing it, feel free to contact me.