Are you suffering from anxiety symptoms and wondering if you should seek anxiety counseling?

Is this Normal?

It’s opening night of your Community Theatre Musical. You auditioned for the lead role, and you NAILED it! You’ve rehearsed your lines for a month and can recite them in your sleep. You’ve memorized all of your marks on the stage, and after the final dress rehearsal, you were flying high with confidence.

Fast forward to fifteen minutes before the curtain rises. Your hair is perfect, and so is your makeup; you are in your costume looking spectacular and ready to go out and knock ’em dead. Then it happens. That ball of nerves in your stomach begins to grow and swell to the point you feel like you need to keep a bucket nearby. Your hands…you don’t ever recall them trembling so badly, and the sweating…oh my goodness the SWEATING! You are quite sure you have sweat straight through your entire costume.

Lights! The curtain rises, and you hurry on stage despite feeling like you might DIE at any second. Now, as you finally relax and can catch your breath again, all the tension and anxiety of the last few minutes fades away. All of your preparation and rehearsal got you to this moment… and you NAIL it!

You see, those terrible feelings of nausea and tension; the profuse sweating and shaking hands, they are all perfectly normal reactions to a stressful situation. They come, and then they go.

But, what if you have similar symptoms during your normal daily life? What if, for no apparent reason, you are stricken with any of the multiple symptoms of anxiety?  If they last longer than a few minutes, or if they begin to affect the quality of your daily life, then maybe it’s time to seek Anxiety Counseling. Here are five of the most common indicators you need help.

When to get Anxiety Counseling

Reach out to a counselor if anxiety is:

Interfering with Your Daily Life

Are you finding it difficult to get on with your daily routine? Are you letting things go that you’ve always been on top of? Maybe you are “letting yourself go” when you’ve always been a fastidious person. If you’ve started to allow your worry to prevent you from keeping your typically good personal hygiene habits or you are falling behind in school or work, these might be good indicators you should seek help. If you’ve always been a social butterfly, but now your friends or family can’t drag you out of the house, it might be time to ask yourself if Anxiety Counseling would be a good idea.

Becoming Harder to Control

Symptoms of anxiety can come and go. You may experience periods of worsening symptoms, and at times they may not be present at all. If at any time you begin to feel as though your anxiety is getting worse, or going on for longer than is normal for you, it is probably an excellent opportunity to seek help with your signs of anxiety. If you ever begin to feel as though your anxiety is no longer under your control, then you should reach out and get assistance.

You Turn to Drugs or Alcohol

Sometimes you may be prescribed drugs for the treatment of severe anxiety. They can be very helpful in its treatment. It is, however, never a good idea to try and mask the symptoms of anxiety with recreational drugs or alcohol. In fact, doing so could make your issues worse or lead to addiction, compounding an already difficult situation. If your anxiety has become troublesome to the point where you consider turning to drugs or alcohol as an escape, then it is time to seek the guidance of Anxiety Counseling.

Caused by a Deeper Issue

Some people who experience anxiety can tie it directly to an apparent cause; an increased workload at the office, or other stresses of life. Sometimes Anxiety issues can be due to physical conditions or underlying health problems. But maybe the cause of your anxiety isn’t readily apparent or isn’t caused by a health issue or a genetic predisposition. If your anxiety is caused by a problem that can not be traced to a particular event or events and is not the result of a medical condition, then Anxiety Counseling could help you get to the bottom of an underlying Mental Health issue.

Experiencing Suicidal Thoughts

Anxiety is stressful on the body and the mind.  Having to fend off the intense feelings regularly, can wear a person down. If at any time you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or feelings, you need to call 911 and seek immediate medical assistance.

You are Not Alone

Anxiety disorders affect nearly 40 million Americans. There are several major types of anxiety disorders, and only a qualified professional can tell you which one you have. Anxiety symptoms don’t have to control your life anymore, be sure to reach out and get the help you need.