Anxiety

Anxiety is NOT all in your mind.

Anxiety, worry, and stress have crept into our modern lives and disrupted our sleep, work, and relationships.

If we feel worried and unsafe, our defenses go up, and whatever activity or therapy we engage in becomes ineffective.

The antidote to those anxious feelings requires finding emotional balance through developing a nervous system that, like a healthy body, has the flexibility to respond appropriately with action (‘fight or flight’) or relaxation (‘rest and restore’).

Feeling overly anxious is the symptom of a problem, not the problem itself. Reducing anxiety without addressing the underlying cause will only lead to frustration and more anxiety.

The real problem resides in your subconscious memories.

Recent discoveries about the effects of ongoing stress and the mixed results produced by behaviorally based therapies have led researchers to recognize the need for better ways to bring about changes in areas of our health outside of our direct conscious control. Taking a fresh look at how our brains connect with our bodies can give us insights and more effective tools for becoming our best selves.

The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is at the center of our self-regulating process, influencing essential systems in our body, including our heart, respiration rate, and digestion. It constantly sends our body signals, getting us ready to react to various situations. The signals sent depend on how safe we feel.

The part of the brain that processes subconscious signals works much faster than the cognitive, logical part, and as such, it helps keep you safe from all sorts of dangers that you may not even consider. This sensory system is always turned on in the background – scanning for safety and risk. These sensory pathways, integrated into our nervous system, help us interpret our environment – allowing us to make sense of the world subconsciously.

Just because this system is subconscious doesn’t mean it isn’t powerful.

When you get a “vibe” or a “gut feeling” about something, that feeling is often a more powerful influencer than logical thinking. If this subconscious influence from your ANS interprets a situation as not safe, you will feel on edge and worry.

This feeling can easily override your conscious cognitive attempts to feel relaxed. If you can’t find some way to reset and quiet the constant worry, your body will learn that being in a state of anxiety and concern is its normal state. Even when you could relax a bit, your body will remind you to worry so you could be in your “learned natural state.”

The ANS is, in large part, governed by the vagus nerve, which is central to our overall well-being. The vagus nerve can influence our emotional as well as our physiological state. Feeling safe allows us to engage with others socially, while a sense of danger (real or imagined) sends signals to prepare our body and mind for defense.

Gain balance and control of your anxiety.

The challenge in treating anxiety is to reduce inappropriate anxiety while maintaining the appropriate anxiety responses. The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), the therapeutic application of the Polyvagal Theory, was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges. It has become one of the most effective approaches for rebalancing neurological arousal states.

This approach offers an effective way to develop the neurological flexibility needed to adaptively shift in and out of different states of alertness and relaxation. The ability to freely move between these states is the key to balancing appropriate anxiety with ease and regaining control.

We will determine the problem in therapy by addressing both the subconscious and cognitive aspects. I will help you gain control of the underlying processes that have been calling the shots on autopilot and put you in the driver’s seat of managing your emotions as you see fit.

Don’t worry, you can still be as anxious as you want, but you will have a choice about it.

Reach out today at (912) 777-9842.