Anxiety Therapy Tag

Nature Therapy Reduces Stress

Green & Serene; Nature Therapy Reduces Stress

Nature offers therapeutic benefits and reduces stress according to a recent study from the National Institute of Health.

Mindfulness, mantras, fitness and new age therapy are all devoted to finding ways to enhance wellbeing, joy, and alternately to decrease stress levels. Combating the effects of stress are increasingly important for all of us as we manage demanding lives. One of the best ways natural ways to enhance feelings of wellbeing is by practicing fitness or some form of exercise therapy. In many studies, cardio vascular exercise is explored and compared with placebos and even pharmacology and it is verified to significantly impact and reduce the symptoms associate with anxiety and depression. Yet, there seems to be new evidence that we can even further enhance the benefits of exercise.

Increasingly, we learn that the great outdoors may have many secrets to enhancing our wellness potential. In fact in a 2013 study published by the National Institute of Health, cortisol levels were measured in people who had taken a long walk indoors and others who had done the same walk outdoors in a green serene setting. Those who had gotten their cardio amidst the trees had significantly less cortisol in their saliva than those who were indoors. Peaceful outdoorsy people have long felt the call of the wild and reported the great benefit of getting their fitness fix by hiking, biking, and other outdoor activities. We know that we can boost endorphins and decrease cortisol levels from the experience of being outdoors. Keep in mind the Cortisol is a hormone produced in the body by the adrenal glands, its activating presence leads to the physical responses involved in “fight or flight.” When cortisol is contained in overabundance in our bodies it can lead to many forms of disease, weight gain, and chronic stress to name a few. So in short, discovering ways to reduce cortisol’s overabundance in our bodies is vital, the mental health community is ready to explore many ways to expound upon the health benefits of spending more time outdoors.

Here are a few of our therapists top 12 to be well, ways to enjoy the outdoors:

Learn to forage for wild edible plants and berries with an expert guide.

Take your lunch break outdoors, even a ten minute walk helps.

Learn how to do a walking meditation.

Create an outdoor space at your home.

Pack a picnic with your dog or your partner.

Try to go camping.

Do some star gazing.

Take a flower sniffing tour.

Plant a garden and make some farm to table meals of your own.

Pick up litter, we can even be altruistic with our wellness.

Ask your therapist to do an outdoor walking session.

Take an outdoor fitness  or yoga

class.

We love western Pennsylvania and finding ways to enhance wellness with our abundant green outdoor spaces.

This short wellness moment is brought to you by our licensed professional counselors and wellness providers at The Counseling and Wellness Center of Pittsburgh.

Be Well Pittsburgh, Monroeville, and Western Pennsylvania!

830 Western Avenue Pittsburgh PA 15233

2539 Monroeville BLVD Monroeville PA 15146

Acute Stress Disorder

Acute Stress Disorder 

Acute stress disorder is a form of anxiety disorder which develops shortly or immediately after exposure to a traumatic event in which real or threatened harm or injury was experienced or threatened to the self or other. Acute Stress Disorder differs from Post-Traumatic Stress disorder in the time from in which the associated symptoms are exhibited. To reach the diagnosis of Acute Stress disorder symptoms should be exhibited less than one month after exposure to a traumatic event. Similarly to PTSD, symptoms involve flash backs, re-imagining, dreams, distress or anxiety at exposure to visual stimuli related to the traumatic situation or event, including hyper-vigilance, and anxiety about the possibility of the event or danger happening again. The duration of the traumatic event and time of exposure or repetitiveness of the exposure effect the likelihood that the person will experience Acute Stress disorder as there are certain internal risk factors which may affect resilience to the development of the trauma. Treatment for Acute Stress Disorder often involves trauma focused therapy, EMDR, short term psychotherapy, mindfulness based therapy approaches even including meditation, acupuncture, all therapy and counseling services should be performed with a licensed professional counselor or mental health specialist.

Generalized Anxiety Therapy

Generalized Anxiety

Generalized anxiety disorder is a mental health concern which brings many people into therapy each year. As many as 1/4^th of people who seek treatment in counseling centers each year do so as a result of wanting to manage symptoms related to Generalized Anxiety Disorder or (GAD). Signs and symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder are free floating thoughts and worries that are not related to a real imminent danger. Those who experience generalized anxiety disorder may find it difficult to distinguish between thoughts and fears which are related to a real possible danger or threat and one that is not. The thoughts, fears, and worries of Generalized Anxiety Disorder co-occur with physical somatic responses such as elevated heart rate, fatigue and restlessness, and or difficulty falling and staying asleep. Individuals who are experiencing this anxiety disorder may also be prone to irritability and may too have a higher incidence rate of other mood and mental health disorders including other anxiety disorders, or depression and substance abuse disorders.

A woman suffering from GAD may say something like “I was always on edge, it was difficult to pin point when the worrying started but it felt like it was one thing after the next. I was worried about getting into college, then how I would manage student and work life after, each test and paper caused me endless worry. It wasn’t just with school either, everything from traffic, to my parent’s health, I wasn’t even able to see the way it was effecting me until things became so bad that I wasn’t sleeping well and started to really feel down. Then I found a therapist and started working on treating my anxiety and along with that I was able to identify how much it had taken over my life.”

Some of the diagnostic criteria for GAD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, are as follows; Excessive worry for at least 6 months.

The person experiencing the anxiety is not able to control the worries or change the focus of their thoughts. Additionally these worries are accompanied by physical sensations or somatic responses including at least 3 of the following; Restlessness, Fatigue, Concentration difficulties, Irritation of Mood, Tightness in the Muscles, Sleep Cycle Disruptions including Difficulty staying or falling asleep. Remember these symptoms cause significant distress in social, family, or work life and are not caused by another disorder or use of substances. Only a licensed professional counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist can help you to discern whether you are exhibiting or experiencing the full range or concerns which may mean you qualify for a diagnosis which will then help to guide the treatment for the anxiety disorder.

Treatment for generalized anxiety disorder often involves many therapy and counseling options. Many forms of psychotherapy including, cognitive behavioral therapy, psycho-dynamic therapy, brief solution focused therapy, acceptance therapy, gestalt therapy, rational emotive behavior therapy, are all valid methods to treat anxiety disorders and manage the symptoms associated with it. In other instances, counseling may be used alongside medication therapy, integrative medicine, including mindfulness and meditiation, to achieve a significant and long lasting reduction in the symptoms of anxiety.

Counseling and Wellness Center of Pittsburgh and Monroeville

830 Western Avenue

Pittsburgh Pa 15233

2539 Monroeville Blvd

Monroeville PA 15146

Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder

Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder

As many as 4.7% of people will experience a panic attack at some point in their lives, panic disorder is a form of anxiety disorder which can be extremely intense, many times individuals who have a panic attack end up going to the emergency room imagining that the rapid heart beat and dizziness are a heart attack. Symptoms and features of anxiety disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV, laid forth by the American Psychiatric Association are as follows: To have experienced at least 4 of the following 13 symptoms;

Heart Palpitations

Trembling

Shaking

A feeling of smothering

Feeling of Choking

Discomfort or Pain in the chest

Nausea

Abdominal distress including a heightened need to urinate or defecate

Dizziness or Lightheadedness

Derealization or Depersonalization

Fear of losing control or a feeling that you are “going crazy”

Sweating, Chills or Hot Flashes

The symptoms of a panic attack are hallmarked by their sudden onset and intensity, unusually a panic attack has an onset in as little as 10 minutes. In example a person who has experienced a panic attack may say “I was sitting on the bus when all of the sudden I felt like I couldn’t breathe, it was like my throat closed up and I was choking but there was nothing in my mouth. I became dizzy and my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest, I started looking around and was going to cry for help. My fingers and toes felt numb and tingling, in a few minutes my heart slowed down a little bit but my stomach was really tight for hours after.”

As you can imagine someone who is experiencing a panic attack is suffering greatly. There are several different types of Panic disorder according to whether they are caused by a specific cue, such as public speaking or encountering an enclosed space such as the panic that can happen with claustrophobia. In other instances, panic attacks can be un-cued or non-specifically cued, this means that sometimes a person who has a panic attack may not understand what the trigger for their panic is until they seek treatment for the panic and uncover the deeper fears and how to manage the panic with their therapist.  A panic attack is differentiated from having a panic disorder which is to have had recurrent and unexpected panic attacks for a period of one month or more. Treatment for panic disorder are therapy, often most effectively Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, with a licensed professional counselor and also medication is sometimes the best treatment. Usually it is a combination of these two treatments which best helps to manage panic disorder. Untreated panic disorder can greatly reduce quality of life, leading to long standing feelings of guilt and shame and even agoraphobia.