Anxiety

When I talk with clients about social anxiety sometimes I'll ask them what they would do if their anxiety was manageable. Would you want to be more social? Would that improve you quality of relationships in your life? These answers can clarify what you want your life to look like and how much... more

It seems like what you are looking for is a way to advocate for yourself and that's so important in mental health! You know best what is working for you and what isn't, so you are the best person to speak out for yourself to the people that can help you. I have extensive training in substance abuse... more

In short, no you do not have too many issues to address for counseling. You and your counselor should work closely together in order to prioritize. Typically anyone coming to therapy has more than one underlying issue. It’s rare that someone comes with just one concern to address. There are so many... more

Sounds like you are really concerned about the things you are feeling and the way you are interacting with others. Self-diagnosing is not typically recommended since there could be a misinterpretation of the criteria even if you do seem to "fit the mold". How you interpret how you feel or how you... more

This is very common! Sleep is when we are most vulnerable and it requires our bodies to let go of control and lose awareness of a lot of our environment. Has anything bad ever happened to you at night or when you were sleeping? This could be something to consider. Your body may be feeling a need... more

That really sucks and I'm sorry that's happening to you.I'm curious what kind of paranoia you are experiencing--like someone will hurt you? That something bad in general will happen? Sometimes intrusive thoughts, like paranoid thoughts, are just thoughts. They don't mean you are actually in... more

Only going off of the information in your question, it seems like you maybe have some performance anxiety and fear disappointing your fiance. Fear can be tricky in the sense that it quite often masquerades as something that seems under our control. For example, your fear of touching a girl may... more

So glad you are reaching out. Panic attacks are very frightening.For some reason (and I promise there is one) your brain is sending off false alarms even though you are probably safe. This is called the fight or flight response and part of the body's way of fighting off perceived threats... more

It's so brave of you to want to confront your fear! If you want to work with that fear, it might be helpful to try it at home first with someone you trust. Because the nation is basically in lock down right now, it could be an opportunity to prepare this way. Notice what you may be thinking when... more

Your very concern about your response to being around children shows that you aren't a bad person--it actually speaks to that you care. Panic attacks are really scary and not easy to deal with. I wonder what you mean by paranoia--does this mean you are worried about your body's response when you... more