Anxiety & Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety that is persistent, difficult to control, or getting in the way of your life is worth taking seriously.
Understanding Anxiety
Anxiety can show up as persistent worry, overthinking, physical tension, fear, or avoidance that begins to interfere with everyday life. When it becomes difficult to control, feels out of proportion to the situation, or starts affecting your relationships, work, or daily routines, it may be worth exploring with a therapist. Online therapy is available to adults in New York and Florida experiencing excessive worry, panic, social anxiety, specific phobias, and avoidance.
Anxiety can involve thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and changes in behavior. The pattern looks different for different people. Some people experience primarily physical symptoms like a racing heart or shortness of breath. Others are caught in cycles of worry and overthinking. Many develop avoidance behaviors that provide short-term relief but can gradually narrow their lives over time.
Part of the work in therapy is understanding your specific pattern, what triggers your anxiety, how it shows up for you, and what has been maintaining it, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.
Common Symptoms of Anxiety
Anxious thoughts and emotions
- Persistent worry that is difficult to control
- Overthinking or anticipating what might go wrong
- Feeling on edge, restless, or unable to relax
- Difficulty tolerating uncertainty
- Irritability or feeling easily overwhelmed
Physical symptoms
- Muscle tension
- Racing or pounding heart
- Shortness of breath or feeling unable to take a satisfying breath
- Stomach discomfort or nausea
- Difficulty sleeping
- Feeling shaky, dizzy, or physically keyed up
Changes in behavior
- Avoiding places, situations, conversations, or activities that trigger anxiety
- Seeking reassurance from other people
- Procrastinating or putting off decisions because of fear or uncertainty
- Leaving situations early or relying on safe people, places, or routines
- Gradually limiting your activities because of anxiety
Having some of these symptoms occasionally does not mean you have an anxiety disorder. What matters clinically is how often they occur, how distressing they are, and how much they interfere with your life. A careful assessment helps clarify the picture.
How can avoidance make anxiety stronger?
Avoidance is one of the most common ways people manage anxiety in the short term, and one of the main reasons anxiety persists. When you avoid a situation, thought, or feeling that triggers anxiety, you get temporary relief. But over time, avoidance teaches your brain that the situation is genuinely dangerous and that you cannot handle it. The anxiety tends to return, often stronger, and the range of situations you feel safe in can gradually shrink. Therapy often involves carefully and gradually facing what you have been avoiding, at a pace that feels manageable.
How I Treat Anxiety
Treatment begins with understanding your specific anxiety presentation, what you are experiencing, what has been maintaining it, and what your goals are. From there, I draw on approaches with strong evidence for anxiety:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps you identify the thought patterns that fuel anxiety, such as overestimating danger or underestimating your ability to cope, and develop more accurate, balanced ways of responding to anxiety-provoking situations. It also addresses the behavioral patterns, including avoidance, that keep anxiety going.
Gradual, Exposure-Based Strategies
For anxiety maintained by avoidance, gradually approaching feared situations or sensations in a structured, collaborative way is one of the most effective tools available. This is not about forcing anything, but about building tolerance and confidence over time.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps you change your relationship with anxious thoughts and feelings rather than fighting to eliminate them. By learning to notice anxiety without automatically reacting to it, and by staying connected to what matters to you, you can reduce the degree to which anxiety controls your choices.
Mindfulness-Based Strategies
Mindfulness-based strategies can help you notice anxious thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations without automatically reacting to them. This can interrupt the cycle of worry and rumination that often sustains anxiety.
Anxiety and OCD can look similar on the surface. Both involve distressing thoughts and urges to reduce discomfort. The key difference is the specific structure of OCD: intrusive thoughts that feel unwanted and inconsistent with who you are, followed by compulsions aimed at neutralizing them. If you are unsure which fits your experience, that is something we can explore together. Learn more about OCD
GAD-7 Anxiety Screener
Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems?
This is a validated screening tool, not a clinical diagnosis. Results are for your personal awareness only and are not stored or shared.
1Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge
2Not being able to stop or control worrying
3Worrying too much about different things
4Trouble relaxing
5Being so restless that it is hard to sit still
6Becoming easily annoyed or irritable
7Feeling afraid, as if something awful might happen
Please answer all 7 questions to see your score.
Ready to Find Relief from Anxiety?
Online anxiety therapy for adults in New York and Florida experiencing excessive worry, panic, social anxiety, phobias, avoidance, and other anxiety-related concerns.
If you are ready to talk, reach out for a free 15-minute consultation, or learn more about getting started.