"Some days I’m so shaky I can’t leave my house …I feel like I can’t breathe ... and getting through the day is a nightmare ..."
“I can’t stop worrying … I have so many problems to think about that I can’t sleep … but I can’t seem to solve them, either …”
Anxiety and Panic - Humans are wired to anticipate problems and protect themselves; we have evolved to do this, and we are very good at it. Unfortunately - this 'anticipatory defense system' often goes into overdrive, setting off a spiral of anxiety - worry, obsessional thinking, and near-disabling panic attacks. With its crowds, constant noise, and 24/7 information overload, New York is a laboratory for our anxieties! And, like pain, anxiety gets our attention; when we are anxious, we can't focus on much else. The good news is that all forms of anxiety are treatable with psychotherapy.
Extreme anxiety creates a sense of urgency - it feels unbearable. Even more unbearable is the sense of being all alone inside it. My hope is that at the end of the first session, you will no longer feel so alone. I have found that mindfulness-based CBT techniques can help ease some of the more distressing physiological symptoms in a fairly short period of time, often without need for medication. And getting some relief is the first step. Mindfulness is a set of skills, and a potential source of wisdom about yourself that can serve over the course of your life; in working with anxiety, these techniques serve as helpful handholds in your day - and when we're anxious, we may need to hold something that steadies us. As you begin to feel stronger than your symptoms, we work to understand the roots of the fears that hamper you, and to understand the meaning of these fears and anxieties in your experience of life. With understanding comes courage. And freedom.