Anxiety is a normal and healthy reaction in many situations. A little anxiety can be motivating. It can also increase one’s level of alertness. However, when anxiety becomes overwhelming or chronic, it can interfere with daily functioning.

There are different types of anxiety that may cause problems in one’s life. There is Social Anxiety, wherein an individual fears large crowds or crowded places. People experiencing social anxiety often feel that others are negatively evaluating them or that they will be humiliated or ridiculed. As a result, they often avoid social activities or restrict their outings.

Another type of anxiety, referred to as Specific Phobia, is when an individual is afraid of one specific thing, place, or situation. Common phobias include: the fear of flying, public speaking, driving, heights, bridges, or closed in places, such as elevators.

If anxiety is more diffuse, the worries takes up a lot of one’s time, and seem excessive, this is called Generalized Anxiety. People with anxiety disorders usually have problems functioning in areas of their lives, such as at work, at home, and/or at school. They may also experience symptoms such as tension, irritability, difficulty relaxing, restlessness, difficulty sleeping, difficulty concentrating, or being easily fatigued.

If the anxiety is acute, in that the symptoms appear within ten minutes and include racing heart, sweating, shakiness, sensations of shortness of breath, chest pain, feeling dizzy, lightheaded, a fear of going crazy or fear of dying, this is referred to as a Panic Attack. Often times, individual who experience any significant anxiety report a reduction in the quality of their lives. The good news is that there are evidenced-based treatments available to help you, or someone you care about, overcome these problems.

There are many counselors at Grand Junction Counseling are highly trained in the area of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Professional counselors can teach you how to manage your anxiety and fears, face and overcome your fears, and provide you with psychoeducation about how and why your mind and body reacts the way it does to certain objects or situations. The counselors at Luminent will help you to conquer your fears and teach you how to manage your anxiety levels

There are two ways to setup an appointment with one of our counselors:

1) Fill out the Contact Form and a counselor will call you with 24-hours; 2) Call our offices at (970) 640-2428.