In other cases, I’ve seen people have panic attacks just be getting in the car and planning to go to a store. The prospect of talking to people and possibly making a social mistake and being judged can bring on panic attacks.

What to Do:

Solution focused therapy can help you learn to manage your panic attacks. We start by helping you visualize what you’ll be doing when you’re calm under these circumstancesare not happening. Having a specific idea of what you’re trying to go for helps you plan for it. Next we help you find a very small but comfortable way to start moving toward the goal of no panic attacks. Sounds simple I know, but the trick is to find something so small it seems ridiculously simple, then build up from there.

Each time you face the situation that results in the anxiety attack you can work towards going a little bit further each time until you reach your goal. We can also apply some behavioral techniques that will make it that much easier to make it happen.

How to Get Started

For more information about how solution focused therapy works, contact me at 616-914-9874.

Gary Watson is a Solution Focused Therapist in Grand Rapids Michigan.  He provides counseling for couples, teenagers, and adults.  He can help with anxiety, depression, stress, college and work stress, relationship problems, and more.  For more information, please visit the website at www.turnaboutcounseling.com.

The post Panic Attacks appeared first on Turnabout Counseling.

What to Do

One way I work with adults to provide counseling for anxiety is to help figure out things you can control in your life.  This can be as simple as cleaning up your room.  Once you do that you can say, “well at least I accomplished that”.  Sometimes the thing to do is get out some paper and make a list of things you have control of that will start solving the problem.  When you come up with things that can help, you realize you have more control and power than you thought.  For me, this gives me a sense of control and direction and I notice any signs of anxiety going down almost immediately.  

Many times, we face situations that seem to have dire consequences either way we go.  Anxiety can set in during these situations because we are virtually paralyzed by not knowing which option to go with.  Picking a direction and going with it often leads to the minimizing of anxiety.  For me,  it feels better to pick a direction and go with it than to deal with the anxiety of being stuck and stressing out between two courses of action.  I can always change direction if I feel I’ve made the wrong decision.  

Gary Watson is a Solution Focused Therapist in Grand Rapids Michigan.  He provides counseling for couples, teenagers, and adults.  He can help with anxiety, depression, stress, college and work stress, relationship problems, and more.  For more information, please visit the website at www.turnaboutcounseling.com.

The post Counseling For Anxiety appeared first on Turnabout Counseling.