Understanding Anxiety Disorders
You Don't Have to Live in a State of Constant Worry
Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions — and among the most treatable. With the right support, real change is possible.
The Basics
What Are Anxiety Disorders?
Anxiety is a normal human experience. But when worry, fear, or avoidance starts to interfere with your daily life, relationships, or sense of self, it may be more than everyday stress.
Anxiety disorders involve persistent, excessive fear or worry that is difficult to control and disproportionate to the actual situation. They can show up in many different ways — and often, people have been living with them for years before seeking help.
Types of Anxiety
Anxiety Shows Up in Many Forms
Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Persistent, excessive worry about a wide range of everyday things — work, health, relationships, finances — that feels difficult to switch off.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Intense fear of social situations, being judged, embarrassed, or humiliated. Often leads to avoidance of social interactions, speaking up, or being the centre of attention.
Panic Disorder
Recurrent, unexpected panic attacks — sudden surges of intense fear with physical symptoms like racing heart, shortness of breath, or dizziness — and persistent worry about future attacks.
Health Anxiety
Excessive worry about having or developing a serious illness, often despite medical reassurance. Can involve frequent checking, seeking reassurance, or avoiding medical information altogether.
Specific Phobias
Intense, irrational fear of a specific object or situation — such as flying, heights, needles, or animals — that leads to avoidance and significant distress.
OCD & Related Disorders
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder involves intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviours or mental acts performed to reduce anxiety. It is closely related to anxiety disorders and responds well to specialised treatment.
My Approach
How I Work with Anxiety
My primary approach to treating anxiety disorders is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and, where appropriate, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). These are evidence-based methods with a strong track record — they work by helping you understand the patterns keeping anxiety in place and gradually changing your relationship with feared thoughts and situations.
But I also take time to understand the whole picture. Past experiences, trauma, and deep-rooted beliefs can intensify anxiety and shape the fears we carry. Understanding those connections doesn't replace evidence-based treatment — it enriches it, and often helps things click into place in a way that creates more lasting change.
Therapy isn't about eliminating anxiety entirely — some anxiety is healthy and useful. The goal is to reduce the hold it has over your life, so you can engage more fully with the things that matter to you.
Is This You?
Signs It Might Be Time to Seek Support
- Worry that feels impossible to control or switch off
- Avoiding situations, people, or places because of fear
- Physical symptoms — racing heart, tension, difficulty sleeping
- Reassurance-seeking that provides only temporary relief
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Feeling like anxiety is running your life
Ready to Take the First Step?
If anxiety has been getting in the way of the life you want, therapy can help. Reach out today and we can talk about whether working together might be a good fit.
Get in Touch