Anxiety Counseling Treatment in Iowa

What are panic attacks?

A panic attack is a sudden "out of the blue" episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause. Panic attacks can be scary. When panic attacks occur, people sometimes think they are having a heart attack or losing control.

Symptoms vary from person to person but they can include a pounding heart, sweating, chills, shaking, having trouble breathing, hot flashes, chest pain, headaches, nausea or feeling detached from reality.

Sometimes people have a panic attack in the midst of an extremely stressful situation. If you have panic attacks often, you should consult a counselor. Treatments for them can be very effective.

What is social anxiety disorder?

Although many people have experienced nervousness in certain social situations, social anxiety disorder is where the person feels they cannot cope with social interactions like talking to strangers, entering a room, making eye contact, parties, using public restrooms etc. They may be fine with one type of social interaction but terrified by another type.

Symptoms for social anxiety disorder vary from person to person but they can include a pounding heart, shaking, having trouble breathing, nausea or not feeling like you are there.

If you often experience social anxiety or have social phobias, you should consult a counselor. Treatments for social anxiety can be very effective.

What is agoraphobia?

Agoraphobia is a disorder where you fear places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment. For some this can be triggered by leaving one's home. For others it can come when they enter an open space or a crowded space. This disorder often develops after one or more panic attacks.

If you often experience agoraphobia, you should consult a counselor. Treatments for agoraphobia can be very effective.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Symptoms of anxiety include:

• worrying
• feeling afraid
• having reoccurring or negative thoughts that interfere with your general well-being
• feeling overwhelmed
• physical symptoms like headaches, a racing heart, muscle tension, unexplained aches, sweaty palms, upset stomach, fatigue etc
• sleep difficulties
• having trouble concentrating
• restlessness, irritability or feeling on edge
• increased or decreased appetite

If you often experience anxiety, you should consult a counselor. Treatments for anxiety can be very effective.

Separation Anxiety Disorder

Separation Anxiety Disorder is a disorder when someone (generally a child) feels recurrent and/or excessive distress about anticipating or being away from home or loved ones (e.g. their parents). Children are more likely to experience this during periods of stress. It is different to normal clinginess as the child becomes obsessed with this fear of separation and can't think about anything else. They can have nightmares or physical symptoms.

If a child regularly experiences separation anxiety, their parent(s) should consult a counselor that has experience with children. Treatments for Separation Anxiety Disorder can be very effective.

What is specific phobia?

Specific phobia is where you have an overpowering fear of something that poses little or no actual danger. What the phobia is varies from person to person but they can include a fear of flying in airplanes, going into enclosed spaces, going to school, thunderstorms, spiders, getting a needle injection etc.

If you often experience specific phobias, you should consult a counselor. Treatments for specific phobias can be very effective.