Anxiety Therapy in Denver: Can it Help Me?
Headaches. Tired all the time. Laying awake at night. Upset stomach. Snapping at family and coworkers. Stress eating. Avoiding answering messages. Overthinking. Struggling to say “no.”
Alone, any of these things can seem innocent enough. We tell ourselves “I’m just going through a hard time” or “everyone feels a little on edge sometimes.” But when they start to happen more often, or in combination with each other, there may be something else going on behind the scenes: anxiety.
Anxiety can crop up when we least expect it, and sometimes we’re so preoccupied with everything there is to do, and everyone who needs something from us that we don’t notice it lurking in the background of our lives. And when we do notice it, it can feel inconvenient - just one more thing to deal with. But you don’t have to deal with your anxiety alone - therapy can help. In this post, we’ll explore some common causes of anxiety, and how therapy can help.
What Causes Anxiety?
One big cause of anxiety is our biology - some people may be genetically predisposed to anxiety if they have others in their family who also struggle with it. This can get passed down through both genes and our environment - being raised by a caregiver with anxiety can teach us from an early age that the world is not a safe place, and make us feel on edge. Hormonal factors can also contribute significantly to anxiety: things like hormonal imbalances, pregnancy and childbirth, weaning from breastfeeding and menopause all impact our hormones and can trigger feelings of anxiety and emotional instability.
Sometimes in life, we go through stressful or destabilizing things that can also bring about feelings of intense worry, anxiety and difficulty feeling at peace. Here are some examples:
Going through a big life transition, like a new job or a move
Being in a new relationship, moving in with a partner or adjusting to marriage and joining families
Family planning and adapting to parenthood
Marital or relationship problems
Financial insecurity
Aging
Pregnancy loss or struggling to conceive
Divorce
Health problems
Burnout from work or school
Facing prejudice or discrimination
Losing someone close to you
Identity issues (gender, cultural, religious, sexual orientation and more)
Being in a toxic or abusive relationship
Experiencing a traumatic event, recently or in your past, that made you feel unsafe
The list goes on. As you can see, many of these are things that all people go through in life. Sometimes we’re able to navigate them successfully, and the stress doesn’t overwhelm us. But sometimes things compound upon each other to make it really hard to cope.
Anxiety Therapy in Denver Can Help
Working with an anxiety therapist can help you get to the root cause of your anxiety, and unlearn lessons from earlier in life that taught you to fear certain situations. You can change your relationship to anxious thoughts, practice putting your needs first and set boundaries that keep you feeling safe in relationships. Anxiety therapy can help you heal your nervous system and build coping tools to feel more at peace and relaxed every day. It’s impossible to keep stress from coming for us in life, but we can build tools to feel more comfortable confronting it.
Who Therapy for Anxiety Helps
Anxiety Therapy for Women
Twice as many women in the United States experience anxiety compared to men - and if you’re a woman struggling with anxiety, maybe you’re thinking “Yes! Of course!” Because of all the different hats that women wear, it’s no wonder that we’re more prone to worry and overthinking - if we weren’t constantly planning and stressing, how would things get done? Some amount of anxiety is helpful to keep us motivated and on-task, but sometimes our brains start to go overboard, leaving us lying awake at night, unable to wind down enough to fall asleep. That’s a problem. Anxiety therapy can help women feel more balanced, allow themselves to slow down and make time for fun and relaxation without feeling guilty. Sound far-fetched? Check out my post on anxiety treatment for women in Denver to learn more.
Postpartum Anxiety Therapy
Postpartum anxiety is incredibly common - experienced by as many as 34.5% of women in the first 6 months postpartum. That’s more than 1 in 3 women! Between hormones, sleepless nights, the onslaught of new responsibilities and stress on your partnership, there are so many things that can contribute to postpartum anxiety in the months after childbirth. Postpartum anxiety therapy can help you gain a deeper understanding of the changes you are going through, and learn coping tools to get out of your head to enjoy this special time in your life.
Anxiety Therapy for Colorado Athletes
Colorado draws athletes from all of the country (and world!) to train in the gorgeous Rocky Mountains. But anxiety does not discriminate, and athletes are no exception - many athletes struggle with anxiety in the form of pre-race jitters, panic attacks or perfectionism. Athletes may feel an intense pressure to perform, which can end up manifesting in symptoms of anxiety like negative self-talk, GI or body aches, or fixating on their performance outcome. Anxiety therapy for Colorado athletes can help you to get more joy out of exercise, be kinder to yourself and be more present in to take in the breathtaking scenery around you.
Anxiety Therapy for Perfectionists
Perfectionism and anxiety are closely related - when we feel the pressure to be perfect, there is a lot of anxiety and fear that we will typically experience around the idea of failure. Perfectionists often seem like they have it together on the outside, while on the inside they struggle with anxiety, self-doubt and criticism. Therapy for perfectionism can help you to be kinder to yourself, find balance in your life and learn to grow from your mistakes instead of living in fear of them.
Anxiety Therapy for People Pleasers
People pleasing is a behavior that comes from anxiety around what will happen if you don’t say “yes” all the time, or if others don’t like you. Women can actually be more prone to people pleasing because of the way they are socialized from a young age to care for and be emotionally responsive to those around them. If you deal with people pleasing, you may worry that if you say “no” to people in your life, they will reject you and you’ll end up alone. Therapy for people pleasing can help with unlearning some of these lessons that you’ve internalized from childhood, and confronting and challenging your fears of rejection.
Anxiety Therapy for Cultural Identity
Feelings of confusion around culture and identity can bring up anxiety around not belonging, or fear of being rejected by a group. It is natural for humans to crave a sense of belonging and connectedness to others, and the fear of being left out is an anxiety that has stayed with us as we have evolved over millions of years. After all, belonging to a group has been necessary for our survival! Anxiety therapy can help people struggling with their identity work through feelings of confusion to find confidence in their identity, intersectionality, or feeling “in-between”.
Connect to an Anxiety Therapist in Denver Today!
Therapy for anxiety can help you work through fear, overwhelm and self-doubt to find confidence and peace in your life. At Root to Rise Therapy, you can work with a skilled anxiety therapist in Denver to get help with your anxiety before it escalates into a full blown crisis. Anxiety therapy will help you heal to get out of your head, stop beating yourself up and feel more at home in your body. Get in touch today to schedule a free phone consultation with a Denver anxiety therapist.
Other Services at Root to Rise Therapy:
Other mental health services at Root to Rise Therapy include Therapy for Anxiety, Therapy for Perfectionism, Therapy for People-Pleasing, Cultural Identity Counseling, ADHD Therapy, Counseling for Moms and Postpartum Counseling. I see clients located in Colorado, New York and New Jersey. Contact me to learn more about how I can help you overcome anxiety and reclaim your life!
