ANXIETY & Panic Attack Therapy

IN CHICAGO

Chicago is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but it is also a very stressful city to live and work in. Population density, commute times, high cost of living, weather extremes and competitive school and work environments all contribute towards increased anxiety levels for Chicago residents. 

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​Causes and Symptoms of Anxiety

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Anxiety, the most prevalent mental health condition in America, is the number one concern that brings people to therapy. Affecting as many as 40 million adults in the U.S., anxiety usually manifests in the form of unpleasant thoughts and physical symptoms.

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Perhaps you’ve noticed an increase in fear-based and “what if” type thoughts. If you’re spending a lot of time thinking about potential future scenarios that are out of your control, you might be suffering from anxiety or an anxiety disorder. Many anxiety sufferers also report that they “worry about everything and anything” and don’t really have one big trigger to attribute their anxiety to. 

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Stop Anxiety from Consuming Your Life

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Is anxiety controlling your mind, body, and emotions? Anxiety can manifest in many different forms that are not always immediately recognizable as anxiety. If you’re wondering if what you’re struggling with is anxiety, below might provide some clues:

  

• Do you have racing thoughts or a mind that is “never quiet”?

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• Do you find yourself obsessing and fixating about the future to the extent that it’s difficult to remain present?

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• Do you have difficulty falling or staying asleep?

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• Have others noticed that you are more irritable and impatient?

 

• Is anxiety manifesting as physical symptoms such as a rapid heart rate, sweaty palms, or shortness of breath?

 

These are just a few of a multitude of anxiety symptoms that an anxiety therapist can help you understand and conquer.

 

 

Other anxiety symptoms can include panic attacks, poor concentration, muscle tension, & gastrointestinal issues.

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Our Anxiety Therapists in Chicago

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The good news is that here at Cityscape Counseling in Chicago, our compassionate therapists specialize in anxiety counseling - providing a number of evidenced-based treatments that are highly effective for reducing anxiety. These include Mindfulness, ACT, DBT & CBT. Many of these anxiety treatments will help you to learn to interact differently with your anxious thoughts and master relaxation techniques to reduce anxiety induced physical sensations.

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How Our Chicago Anxiety Therapists Can Help You Better Manage Your Anxiety Symptoms

 

Simply talking to an objective, compassionate and non-judgmental therapist in a safe space can help you feel less alone in your internal struggle.

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Additionally, your anxiety therapist will be able to provide some psychoeducation about what is actually happening on a biological level in your body and brain when you are experiencing anxiety. This can help normalize the experience for you and also start to disempower the effects of anxiety.

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Once you understand the purpose of anxiety, you will realize that anxiety is actually quite adaptive. Although the symptoms of anxiety may feel unpleasant and distressing, anxiety itself is not dangerous.

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Our Anxiety Therapists Treat The Following Forms of Anxiety: 

 

Stress - a physical reaction caused by an external trigger such as a transition, crisis or trauma. Can be acute or chronic causing excessive cortisol release by the body and resultant anxiety. 

 

Generalized Anxiety – characterized by excessive worrying that makes it difficult to relax. 

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Our Anxiety Therapists at Cityscape Counseling in Chicago specialize in research supported therapies that can help reduce generalized anxiety. 

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Here are some signs that you may have generalized anxiety:

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• You find yourself worrying about a variety of things in your life. Though you may realize that some of this anxiety is irrational, you find it difficult to let those worries go.

• You find yourself spending a lot of time overanalyzing and attempting to problem solve future problems that may or may not even occur.

• You are unable to identify one specific trigger for your anxiety. 

• It’s hard for you to deal with uncertainty. 

• It feels like you have no control over your mind and when you try to distract yourself from these worries, they are still there when you return. 

• You struggle with decision making because you doubt yourself and whether it’s the perfect choice. 

• Your anxiety starts to take a physical toll on your body and you notice symptoms such as a rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, insomnia and muscle tension. 

 

 

Panic Attacks – characterized by an extreme physical feeling of terror. Some people describe this feeling as “loss of control” or “losing touch with reality,” while others feel it more physically and believe their health is at risk. While panic attacks feel scary, they are actually quite harmless.

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Our Anxiety Therapists at Cityscape Counseling in Chicago specialize in research supported therapies that can help you to identify a panic attack before it

begins in order to stop it from peaking and/or reduce its intensity.

 

Here are some signs that you may be suffering from Panic Attacks: 

• You find it difficult to catch your breath

• It feels like you might be choking

• You have chest pain or a racing heart that might feel like a heart attack

• You feel dizzy, like you might faint or even die

• You have an out of body experience 

• The world around you might seem unreal

• You may also feel nauseas and break out in a sweat

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Sometimes panic attacks can be triggered by a specific event, but oftentimes they appear to come out of nowhere. You may begin to worry about the next time a panic attack will strike and this can cause avoidance of certain places and activities that you worry you can’t escape from. This avoidance may increase over time and therefore rob you of the places and activities that used to bring you joy.

 

Using evidence-based coping skills, our anxiety therapists can help you reduce symptoms of anxiety, including panic attacks. Please see below for examples of basic coping skills you can try at home. More advanced coping skills can be learned and mastered in therapy.

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