Mental health issues arise when there’s a build-up of stressful events. A surge of negative emotions causes stress, and one of the feelings is anxiety.
Anxiety is a normal response when you encounter an event or object that’s threatening your safety. It heightens the feelings of fear, discomfort, and apprehension towards an event or a person. When you feel anxious, don’t panic. The anxiety you’re feeling is valid. It means you are aware and that you are afraid — and that’s okay.
Your first day at a new job or school, a job interview, writing a business deal, or speaking to a crowd can cause anxiety — that’s normal. However, if the anxiety you’re feeling is consistently taking a toll on your mental health, it’s best to look for help. Online counseling is one of the best ways to deal with anxiety.
How Will Counseling Help My Anxiety?
The most common mental health issue in America is anxiety. With over 40 million adults affected, anxiety affects 18% of the American population. The good news is that anxiety disorders are highly treatable, and one of the best treatments is counseling. Here’s how counseling can help you if you’re experiencing anxiety:
Counseling Offers a Safe Space
When you’re dealing with anxious thoughts, it’s normal to keep it all to yourself. This is because you’re anxious that you’ll get judged or shut down when you open up to someone.
When you request an appointment with a counselor and meet them, you enter a safe space. There’s no stigma or judgment in a counseling office or a telehealth counseling session. You are there to share your feelings openly, and the counselor or therapist embraces your vulnerability. You are allowed to laugh, cry, and be your true self with them.
Not only that, but counselors are bound by their profession’s code of ethics to keep things confidential. This means that they’re legally bound to keep a tight lip unless you express an intent to harm others or yourself.
Related Article: A Guide to Your First Therapy Appointment
Online Counseling Provides a Guide For You
The guide we’re talking about is the mental health professional — your therapist or counselor. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed when you don’t know the cause of distress. Your counselor’s role is to help you figure out your pain points — the reason why you feel anxious and in distress.
In addition, your counselor gently guides you in your journey to recovery. They help you become accountable to yourself, engage in social-emotional learning activities, and they lay down healthy coping tips for you.
It Helps You Set Realistic Goals and Expectations
Anxiety is challenging because it usually distorts your belief in yourself and others. It makes you feel incompetent, small, or undeserving of the things you worked hard for. The anxiety you feel affects your life because you think you do not measure up to somebody else’s or your standards.
Through counseling, you get to figure your goals out. It’s an intervention that helps you reflect on your life. Through guided questions by a counselor, it allows you to introspect. Eventually, you get to sort out the realistic goals or standards from the ones that are impossible to reach.
It Shows You a Different Perspective
Through the help of a counselor, you get to gain another perspective. Anxiety messes with the quality of your life, and it makes you feel stuck. During sessions, you get to engage in counseling activities for anxiety. This helps you develop and implement solutions so you can move forward. It also enables you to deal with negative self-talk, rethink failure, establish support groups, and practice mindfulness.
Related Article: 5 Ways to Develop a Positive Mindset That Lasts
Online Counseling is Evidence-Based
When we talk about ‘evidence-based’, this means that it is proven by countless researches to be a beneficial and scientific approach. Anxiety counseling isn’t guesswork; it’s medically proven to be helpful to those struggling with anxiety. Counselors back their approaches up with scientific techniques and modalities.
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is another approach and a vital process of counseling. Counseling is effective if you’re dealing with anxiety because you undergo a series of approaches. Through different social and emotional learning modalities, you acquire knowledge, recognize emotions, and handle anxiety-provoking situations.
It Establishes A Support System For You
Having no stable support system is tough. Most of the people who struggle mentally are individuals who have no healthy support system. This is why counseling can be a great help to you. Therapists or counselors can be a part of your support system. Not only that, but they can recommend you to different reliable support groups who are also dealing with issues like yours. You get to have a healthy and stable support system — a group that helps you manage your emotions and figure out life.
Online Counseling Helps You Learn and Cope Healthily
Mental health issues, when left untreated, can cause severe psychological disorders. The first step to recovery is acknowledging the need for help. If you already looked for help, Congratulations! You overcame the hardest part. Next in line is psychological assessment. Through psychological assessment, you get to have the right mental health diagnosis. It may feel scary at first, but knowing your diagnosis gives clarity.
Through counseling, you get to create a deeper sense of awareness because you’ll participate in psycho-educational sessions. This helps you learn more about your diagnosis, the symptoms, causes, and coping techniques. Once you become aware of your tendencies and responses, you get to correct unhealthy behaviors.
Related Article: Worried About Your Diagnosis? You’re Not Alone
What’s Stopping You?
It’s normal to think of disadvantages when you’re weighing out a decision. Let’s help you out. These might be the possible reasons why you’re resisting the need for counseling:
- You don’t know the details of counseling’s effectiveness
- Anxiety over meeting your counselor for the first time’s hindering you to book an appointment
- You feel like you cannot afford it
- You don’t know if counseling services accept insurance
- You feel like you can still manage your anxiety
Counseling services are a means for you to take care of your mental health. When it comes to determining when you need counseling, you don’t have to wait and experience a severe mental health decline to start counseling.
If you’re concerned about counseling being accessible, there are two options for you: physical consultation and telehealth counseling. You get the care you deserve through different resources near you and online. Some counseling services are eligible for insurance, making it easier for you to get the help you deserve.
Related Article: Can’t Meet Your Therapist? Try Telehealth Online Counseling
Get The Help You Need
Your mental health is important, and counseling can help you recover or become stronger. Counseling for your mental health is like crutches for a broken leg. As your broken bones are slowly mending, the crutches are used to help you walk your broken foot. Once you regain your strength, you get to put those crutches aside, and walk efficiently on your own.
Start your journey by scheduling an appointment with a therapist or counselor. Eventually, you get to experience the benefits of counseling first-hand.
6 thoughts on “Can Online Counseling Help My Anxiety?”
Wow. What a very great read!.. it’s funny how all the things under what’s stopping you is the reason why i didn’t undergo counselling for a very long time. thanx for this