Anxiety

Being anxious about a scary or challenging event is normal. It can even be helpful, but your feelings shouldn’t be extreme or long-lasting. If you or your child has anxiety disorder symptoms, visit Leon Sankofa, Sr., MSW, at Family & Youth Foundations in Hampton and Danville, Virginia. Dr. Sankofa and his team use advanced counseling and hypnotherapy to reduce anxiety and stress. Call Family & Youth Foundations today or book an appointment online to learn how you can free yourself from anxiety.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety disorders cause intense fear, worry, and stress that can be disabling. It affects people of all ages and from all walks of life. The most common conditions are:

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

GAD is the leading anxiety disorder. Children and adults with this condition suffer extreme fear and worry about everyday activities, work, school, and relationships — almost everything in life is a source of stress. GAD makes decision-making almost impossible and severely limits your ability to achieve your life goals.

Separation anxiety

Children who develop this disorder become overly distressed when their parent or primary caregiver leaves, even for short periods.

Phobias

Phobias are fears of specific things, like spiders, birds, heights, and being trapped in a confined space. The overwhelming fear that phobias cause usually far outweighs any risk these things pose. Social anxiety disorder is a phobia focused on being around others, especially in large numbers.

Anxiety’s exact cause isn’t clear, but it could relate to your family history, environment, excessive stress, or trauma.

What symptoms does anxiety cause?

Anxiety symptoms include:

• Feeling nervous, restless, and tense
• Always expecting negative outcomes
• Difficulties concentrating
• Disturbed sleep
• Fatigue

Anxiety causes considerable distress in daily life. Encountering a trigger like the source of a phobia can bring on a panic attack.

Panic attacks can happen to anyone with anxiety. Your fear reaches a peak where you temporarily lose control of your emotions. You might cry and scream or be unable to move or speak. Physical symptoms include excessive sweating, shaking, pounding heart, and shortness of breath. A severe episode can cause chest pain that resembles a heart attack.

How is anxiety treated?

The primary anxiety treatments are medication and psychotherapy (talk therapy). Anti-anxiety drugs affect brain chemicals that regulate your mood, helping you feel calmer. Talk therapy has several uses: It can help you deal with the things that trigger anxiety and show you how to better manage stress in your daily life.

At Family & Youth Foundations, the team specializes in treating mental health conditions like anxiety. They offer psychological counseling and hypnosis to help you calm yourself and manage your thoughts and behaviors.

Hypnosis is a safe, noninvasive treatment where your therapist guides you into a trancelike state. This enhances calmness and increases concentration, making you more open to positive thoughts and suggestions.

Call Family & Youth Foundations today or book an appointment online to learn more about anxiety treatments and their benefits.