Anxiety Treatment Melbourne

For clients seeking treatment for anxiety in Melbourne, we have compiled the below information to explore anxiety and the different ways it can present in your life. For clients seeking counselling for anxiety in Melbourne, we have an experienced team of Clinical Psychologists and Psychologists in our Melbourne CBD clinic as well as psychologists in Geelong who are able to provide treatment for anxiety in a safe supportive environment.

What is Anxiety?

Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. We might feel anxious before a job interview, or when we feel we’re in danger, like waking up to a strange sound in the Melbourne night. Everyday anxiety is occasional, mild and brief. In some situations, anxiety can be essential to our survival. If you were standing on the edge of a curb and a car swerved towards you, you would immediately perceive danger and jump back to avoid the car. This normal anxiety reaction, called the ‘fight or flight’ response, is what triggers you to immediately respond to danger.

The anxiety felt by a person with a disorder occurs often, is more intense, and lasts longer: up to hours and sometimes even days. Anxiety disorders can make it hard for people in Melbourne to work or study, manage daily tasks and have relationships. These disorders are the most common mental health problem in women and are second only to substance-use disorders in men. On average, one-in-four Australians will experience an anxiety disorder at some stage in their life. 

How do I know if I have an anxiety disorder?

For people in Melbourne and around the world, symptoms of an anxiety disorder can develop over time. To be diagnosed with a disorder, the anxiety should be having a disabling impact on a person’s life. Anxiety symptoms fall into three categories: cognitive (recurring thoughts), physical sensations (the ‘flight or flight’ response), and behavioural symptoms. See a list of common symptoms below:

Cognitive (thinking):

• Anxious thoughts: ‘I’m losing control’
• Anxious predictions: ‘I’m going to stuff it up, and humiliate myself’
• Anxious beliefs: ‘Only weak people get anxious.’
• Nightmares or flashbacks after a traumatic event

Physical:

• Racing heart
• Chest pain, discomfort, heart palpitations, shortness of breath
• Butterflies or knots in the stomach
• Sweating, shaking, nausea, or dizziness

Behavioural:

• Avoiding feared situations
• Avoiding activities that cause feelings similar to those felt when anxious (e.g., exercise, or parties)
• Subtle avoidances (behaviours that aim to distract the person e.g., talking more during periods of anxiety)

Why is this happening to me?

As with depression, anxiety disorders are often caused by a combination of factors. The social and physical risk-factors associated with developing a disorder are listed below:

• Parental mental illness
• Verbal, sexual, or emotional abuse, as a child or adult
• Exposure to domestic violence
• Exposure to adverse life-events (bereavement, family relationship problems, loss or change of job, changed living arrangements.)
• Experiencing a major emotional shock following a stressful or traumatic event
• A family history of mental illness
• Personality traits such as neurotic, perfectionist, low self-esteem, or pessimistic

Different types of anxiety

The seven main types and symptoms of anxiety disorders are listed below:

• Panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia): Having ongoing panic attacks (at least four a week) for at least a one-month period.
• Social phobia: A fear of humiliation or embarrassment, or a fear of being scrutinized and criticized by other people.
• Generalised anxiety disorder (or GAD): General worry and constant feelings of uneasiness. Often described as feelings of ‘free-floating anxiety.’
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): Obsessive and distressing thoughts or beliefs which are often followed by unusual behaviours or rituals, designed to relieve the distressing feelings.
• Acute stress disorder: The development of psychological problems following exposure to trauma, within a month of exposure to the traumatic event.
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): The development of psychological problems (re-experiencing the event, numbness, hyperarousal) following exposure to trauma, over a month after exposure to the traumatic event.
• Hypochondriasis (health anxiety): Excessive worry or preoccupation about having a serious illness.

What is the treatment? 

Psychological treatments (counselling) have been found to be the most effective way to treat anxiety disorders.  Psychological treatments may not only help people to recover but can also help to prevent a recurrence of anxiety problems. Effective counselling and treatment can help people with an anxiety disorder learn how to control the condition – so it doesn’t control them.

An integrative approach

Mindview Psychologists take an integrative approach to the treatment of anxiety. This approach recognises that there is no one-size-fits-all method for treating a particular presentation or ‘disorder’. Therapists using this approach value you as an individual and will encourage you to achieve a state of wholeness in which you are functioning to your fullest potential. Focus is also placed on the stages of your development, such as childhood experiences that may have shaped your personality and led to unhelpful belief systems in your adult life.

The basis of this approach is that the therapist matches evidence-based treatments to each client and each disorder. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness and Schema Therapy are examples of treatments that can be combined into an integrative approach for treating anxiety.  This combination of treatment approaches and modalities can be used to help the client to reduce and manage symptoms of anxiety as well uncover the root cause of these symptoms to work towards longer lasting and meaningful change in their lives.

Seeking anxiety treament in Melbourne?

If you’re suffering from an anxiety disorder you might find it difficult to take that first step. Our practice in the Melbourne CBD provides a safe space for clients to explore their current struggles and work toward meaningful and lasting change in their lives.

For clients seeking counselling for anxiety in at our Melbourne clinic, we have an experienced team of Clinical Psychologists and Psychologists in the Melbourne CBD who are able to provide treatment for anxiety in a safe supportive environment.

Choosing the right therapist is the most important step in your journey to recovery. We encourage you to take a look at our psychologists’ profiles to see if there is a therapist who you feel would be a good match for you. Please get in touch if you have any questions or queries regarding our Melbourne psychologists, we’re always willing to help.