Crouch End and Muswell Hill
Anxiety is characterised by powerful feelings of unease, worry, and fear which are often accompanied by physical symptoms like shaking, sweating, and dizziness.
Unpleasant thoughts or images of failure, embarrassment, or danger are added to the mix, creating a debilitating condition that causes real suffering for many people in the UK.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Panic Attacks, Social Phobias and General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) are all forms of anxiety which I see on a weekly basis in my practice.
Anxiety issues are often limiting, baffling, and embarrassing. I hear of how my clients' lives have narrowed and how they avoid the basic pleasures of life, as well as their responsibilities. Self-esteem, confidence, and a sense of self are all eroded by anxiety. The good news is that they can all start to improve when it is effectively treated.
Luckily there are established, evidence-based techniques to help with the anxiety issues above. We can work using a cognitive and behavioural approach to pursue the change you are looking for.
First, we can look at any historical reasons that might explain why you are suffering from anxiety. We won't dwell in the past, but in my experience, it is important to discuss the possible causes for the symptoms. We will look at the specific symptoms that are most distressing for you. What is triggering your anxiety? What makes it worse, and keeps it going?
Identifying the thoughts you have and the way they link with your emotions and behaviours gives us the essential information we need to help you make sense of your symptoms.
From here we will do a series of exercises and experiments to start to challenge the very foundation of your anxiety.
"Andrew helped me get a really precise understanding of what is actually causing my social anxiety, what he called 'the mechanics' of it. We took real-life examples, looked at the mechanics, and designed ways of challenging my thoughts, fears and behaviours.
I felt like I learned a lot about what's been driving me, which felt great; and I felt like I was actually going to be able to do something about it, which also felt great. It was hard work and at times quite challenging. When I look back I can see it was the more challenging stuff that's been most valuable to me now.
I know I've turned a corner, that I have the knowledge and a good set of tools so I can face the situations I used to run away from. It has not been the easiest thing I've ever done, but it has been one of the most rewarding."
George in Crouch End, Counselling for relationship issues and substance use
Understanding Social Anxiety
Social anxiety, or social phobia, is an overwhelming fear of social situations. I think it's best understood by looking at the symptoms people experience when they suffer from it.
People with social anxiety are constantly haunted by worries about what others think of them. They suspect that they are being judged negatively, that people don't like them, or that they are deficient in some way.
Such thoughts can be particularly invasive when people are faced with unknown situations, especially when they think they might be scrutinised and judged.
This unpleasant and debilitating fear leads to people avoiding social situations like parties, after- work drinks, and birthday celebrations.
Unfortunately, when you repeatedly avoid social situations, your anxiety only becomes stronger and deeper, and so do the unwanted negative thoughts about being judged and failing.
There can also be physical symptoms like flushing of the neck or face, heart racing, and sweating. Not only are these symptoms embarrassing, even frightening, they create yet more anxiety because you feel that others can see how uncomfortable you are.
As with all anxiety disorders, when social anxiety is left untreated over time, life becomes smaller, and the anxiety is triggered by a greater range of situations.
For example, imagine you decide not to go to a party alone because you picture standing by yourself, feeling self-conscious. Then you decide not to go to the regular after-work drinks on Fridays anymore because you think you are not as interesting as your workmates, and you will be judged.
After a while, this could lead to your experiencing anxiety at the thought of just sitting down with your work colleagues in the staff canteen for lunch. Your mind is filled with thoughts such as, "I won't be able to make conversation. They may think I'm boring. I've got nothing interesting to say. I'll go red, I’ll be flustered." It is easy to see how this process erodes self-confidence and leads to a smaller, less rewarding life.
The Solution
I work with my clients to discover where the anxiety comes from, to examine the ways in which it manifests itself, and to identify the maintenance cycle that keeps it all going.
This process makes sense of what is happening to you and allows you to feel hopeful that, together, we can do something about your anxiety. The next step is to identify what we can do to change your ingrained responses, to reduce your unwanted symptoms, and to move on with your goals.