Anxiety Management

Life became a constant struggle.

Peter* woke up to the alarm at 7 am. He looked out the window and noticed the sun was out with clear blue skies. It was going to be a beautiful day.

Unfortunately, Peter did not feel that way and dreaded the day. He felt exactly like Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog’s Day, where nothing changes, and the same experiences repeatedly occur indefinitely.

Every day for the past month, he’s dealt with unexpected episodes of tightness in his chest, uncontrollable shaking, constriction in his throat, and difficulty breathing. Peter had never felt this way in his life.

He noticed a pattern of experiencing these episodes when leaving his apartment and going outside, driving his car, or going to his local gym. Other times it was sudden and unexpected when he was at home. His life became more restricted when he stopped going out to places and rarely drove.

Life went from bad to worse.

Peter suspected something was wrong with his heart and feared having a heart attack or a stroke. His primary care doctor told him that he was fine and that he struggled with anxiety.

Peter wasn’t convinced and asked for a second, third, and fourth opinion from other doctors. They all said that his heart was good, and it was anxiety.

After a referral to see a cardiologist, the diagnosis remained the same – probably anxiety. This diagnosis did not convince Peter, causing him to become frustrated because nobody had a good answer for why he felt this way.

His mother became sick and tired of hearing about his woes and health issues, saying, “It’s all in your mind!” Peter’s relationship with his girlfriend became frustrating because she couldn’t go anywhere without him.

Peter was lucky to work from home because driving to work was hard. However, he struggled to meet deadlines and did not finish his work on time. One day his boss met with Peter about concerns over his job performance.

Life started spiraling out of control.

Peter tried to pinpoint when his problems started as his life began a downward spiral. Problems mounted and created more stress. Struggles increased with his job, the transition of moving out of his old apartment, and difficulties in his relationships.

He reminisced about the good old days when he was very friendly and the “life of the party.” He felt alone and disconnected from his family, friends, and girlfriend.

Peter realized he needed help since he would likely lose his job, girlfriend, and sanity.

That realization inspired Peter to seek therapy.

Peter unloaded his burdens.

When I first met Peter, he was overwhelmed with everything and consumed by fear. He worried something was seriously wrong with his health because of the unexpected chest pains.

For the first time, Peter felt understood and reassured that he was not losing his mind. He also felt relieved to know that he was not the only one who struggled with anxiety, given that 27.3% of adults in America dealt with anxiety. Furthermore, many people struggled with anxiety revolving around their health as well.

I shared a personal story of hope about my brother, who struggled with frequent panic attacks, often going to the emergency room because he felt like he had a heart condition due to some chest pain. At the time, my brother was going through a rough patch in his life, causing him to struggle. My brother decided to seek help from a professional therapist. Today, his anxiety is under control with no more panic attacks, and he lives a fulfilling life.

Peter felt understood and more at ease when sharing the burden of his pain over the last three years.

Therapy helped Peter manage anxiety.

In therapy, we unpacked and addressed some of Peter’s issues, including preoccupation with health issues, career struggles, and relationships with his girlfriend and family.

Peter learned coping skills, such as deep breathing, exposure, and systematic desensitization techniques, to help manage his panic attacks.

Today, Peter is doing much better with an active social life, increased satisfaction with his job, an improved relationship with his girlfriend, and is on good terms with his family.

Be like Peter!

If anxiety keeps you from moving forward with your life, don’t keep struggling alone.

Therapy provides a safe place to identify your anxiety’s cause and learn how to manage it.

I walked alongside Peter and am willing to walk with you as we help you process your anxiety and learn to move forward with your life.

*Name and story are composite narratives and do not reflect an actual client.