Follow These 4 Effective Steps to Prevent Anxiety Attacks

Guess Post by Cheryl Conklin of Wellness Central

Anxiety is the emotion of fear and worry, which, on occasion, is easy to control. However, when this feeling becomes constant, it can have an overbearing impact on personal relationships, work, and quality of life. 

To prevent anxiety attacks it is important to understand its cause and then make changes to overcome it. The Zinnia Practice shares four effective lifestyle changes you can make to manage anxiety.

Have a Good Sleep Schedule

According to the ADAA, anxiety, and sleep have a strong correlation. Feeling anxious can impact your ability to sleep, while lack of sleep can trigger anxiety attacks. To overcome this cycle, it is important to gain control over your sleep schedule by following these steps:

●      Set a fixed time to sleep and wake up each day. This helps your body create a sleep-wake cycle leading to you feeling naturally sleepy at night.

●      Focus on getting around seven to nine hours of sleep daily.

●      Avoid food with high caffeine and sugar content such as coffee, chocolates, toffies, etc. before bed.

●      Refrain from using electronic devices such as your mobile phone at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Blue light emitted from screens inhibit the release of melatonin, the sleep hormone, keeping you awake and suppressing sleep.

 Practice Visualization

The goal of visualization exercises is to help you gain control over negative thoughts by imagining yourself in a relaxing environment. This environment can be a calm natural setting, a happy memory, or any other frame which invokes a positive response. According to research, our brain perceives visualized imagery in the same way as the actual experience. As a result, while practicing visualization, you may experience a drop in heart rate and an increase in deep breathing, naturally making you feel calm.

Practicing visualization two to three times a week can help keep anxiety attacks in check. Visualization should be done in a place you are comfortable in such as your bedroom or garden. Additionally, set a time when disturbances are minimal and you can fully concentrate. 

Opt for Therapy

It is important to understand that you do not need to deal with your anxiety alone. While it is natural to feel nervous about sharing your thoughts and experiences with others, opting to go for anxiety therapy can help you improve your mental health. Therapy doesn’t always need to be a long-term affair as many individuals experience significant improvement within the first 8-10 sessions. 

Make a Career Change

Working in an environment where you have an enormous workload, long hours, and low returns (in terms of recognition and pay) can lead to you feeling stressed and anxious. Additionally, job anxiety can reduce your self-confidence and productivity and lead to a lack of sleep and excessive worrying. When facing such a scenario, it is important to make a career change.

Choosing to pursue an online degree program could help you take a positive step towards overcoming job anxiety. Attending classes can expose you to an environment that is positive and productive. You could feel excited learning about new things and working towards moving up in your career. Additionally, with flexible schedules, you can learn at your convenience. While pursuing an MBA is a popular choice, other in-demand degrees include, MSc in Economics and an M.S. in Information Technology Management.

Adopting these lifestyle changes could help you to alleviate stress, have control over your mood and prevent anxiety attacks.

What exactly is Brainspotting Therapy?

So what exactly is brainspotting? Maybe you've heard of brainspotting before and you're curious about it, or maybe you have no clue what I'm talking about. Before we jump in, know that brainspotting is very different from EMDR.

Brainspotting is different from EMDR

In my opinion it is way better, but of course I'm biased because I am a brainspotting therapist.

The idea behind brainspotting therapy is very simple.

It is that when we go through trauma, stress, or difficult experiences, they can get locked into certain parts of the brain.

The experiences get locked into the reptilian or subcortical part of your brain where your emotions are processed.

This often happens to maybe protect your body from the difficult emotions. Because if you spent all of your time thinking about all the big, difficult things that have happened in your life, you’d be paralyzed by fear, anxiety or overwhelm. So then your brain locks those emotions into one place.

Perhaps your body might not be ready to process those emotions yet, so it just protects them in the reptilian brain. However this becomes a problem, when the memories begin to interfere in your life.

The effects of locking up your emotions

You find yourself avoiding emotions altogether, or having a hard time regulating your emotions. Or the memories of the difficult experience keep popping back up, and you have no idea what to do with them.

Through the process of brainspotting, your therapist will help you unlock some of those emotions, so that you can better process them and heal your hurt brain.

The tools of Brainspotting

Some of the tools that I use in brainspotting are a pointer and biolateral music to help you dig into the subcortical brain.

The benefits of brainspotting

Brainspotting therapy is just a simple tool to help you unlock the emotions, trauma and experiences that have been trapped in your brain, so that you can process then and free yourself from pain. You leave the sessions feeling like a load has been lifted off your shoulders, and the memories that have felt unbearably scary, get less and less scary.

Brainspotting can be helpful for:

• People who have experienced trauma.

• People with anxiety or fear.

• Athletes, performers and musicians who are stuck.

• Entrepreneurs who want to get rid of mental blocks that stop them from making important decisions.

Here is a link to anther blog post and video on how brainspotting works.

If you are ready to heal your brain and try brainspotting therapy, click here to schedule a free 15-minute consultation call. I provide brainspotting in Temecula, Murrieta area and brainspotting in Houston, TX. I see clients throughout Texas and California online.

FAQs About Counseling, Therapy or Psychotherapy in Murrieta

Happy new year folks! I took a blogging break so that I could rest and begin to work on some more helpful mental health topics for you in 2020. I hope you had a great holiday break and you’re ready to take 2020 by storm.

Today I’m going to be answering some of the frequently asked questions about therapy or counseling that are often thrown at me. I know that finding a therapist or counselor in Murrieta/Temecula or even in the Inland Empire could be daunting, so my goal today is to make the process a bit easier for you. Many people who seek a therapist out in the Inland Empire are new to therapy. It’s normal to have some questions before you begin. And even if you don’t live in Murrieta, Temecula or the Inland Empire, chances are you have some of these questions when you’re seeking out a therapist.

Okay, let’s dive in. Below are some of the questions I get asked quite a bit. If you have questions about therapy that you’d like a licensed therapist to answer, go ahead and write them down in the comments section:

1) Is therapy confidential?

I get this question all the time. In short, the answer is “Yes and no.” I know it’s confusing, but let me explain. In the state of California, therapists are mandated reporters. It means that there are certain situations we have to report under the law- for the protection of certain people.

Some of these situations are:

• Child abuse- That includes physical, emotional, sexual abuse, or neglect of a child who is less than 18 years of age. When you are in the therapy room, if you disclose that a child is being abused, the therapist has the mandate to make a report to Child Protective Services (CPS). Now as a therapist, I do not investigate whether or not the allegation of abuse is true. My job is to simply pass the report on to CPS and let them do their job. Click here to read more about CPS child abuse reporting in California.

• Dependent adult abuse- This is the abuse of someone who is an adult ages 8 to 64, but due to his or her physical or emotional state, he or she cannot perform certain independent tasks without assistance. Types of abuse that must be reported include sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, neglect and even financial abuse. So if you’re in a session with me and you report for example. that your 19 year old neighbor, who is a dependent adult, is underfed, malnourished and always being yelled at, I will be mandated to report to Adult Protective Services (APS). Here is the link to Riverside County APS.

• Elder adult abuse- This is the abuse of an adult who is 65 years or older. It includes abandonment or neglect, financial abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse or even healthcare abuse. So abuse doesn’t only mean harming the person physically or emotionally, misuse of the elder’s funds and healthcare fraud could also be reportable. In this case if I suspect any of the above types of abuse is going on, I’ll also make a report to APS so that the individual is kept safe.

• Danger to self or others: My job as a therapist is to ensure that you are safe. If at any time, it becomes obvious that you are going to be a danger to yourself, to another person or to the property of another person, it is my prerogative to report to the necessary authorities so that everyone concerned can be safe. In this case, I can choose not to report, but if I deem that this is the best action, then I could go ahead and bring in a third party to keep you safe.

• Patriot Act of 2001: This law was enacted as a response to the horrific attacks on September 11, 2001. This indicates that if a client of mine is a suspected terrorist, the FBI or their law enforcement agencies can request information from me, and I would have to comply with their requests. Read more about the Patriot Act here.

But if you are not a danger to yourself or others, if you are not a suspected terrorist and if there is no suspected elder, dependent or child abuse, then the information you divulge in therapy remains confidential.

2) Will my health insurance pay for my therapy visits?

The answer to this one is “It depends.” Some insurance companies have mental health coverage and they will allow you to see a therapist who has signed a contract with them. These therapists are “In network” with your insurance company. It’s important to ask your insurance company what your benefits are, so you can decide what you want to do.

Some insurance companies will specify the number and types of sessions that you can have. For example, some insurance companies do not cover couples therapy. Others will cover tele therapy (therapy over the phone or computer), while some won’t.

In some situations, you might find a therapist whom you really like, but they might not have a contract with your insurance company. If you have a PPO plan, you might be able to still work with an out of network therapist and also get a percentage of the therapy cost reimbursed by your health insurance company.

What I do in this case is that the client pays me out of pocket for each session, and then I provide them a superbill (it’s sort of a receipt for services), which the client forwards to the insurance company for coverage.

It’s important to ask your insurance company if you have to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder in order for services to be covered.

Insurance companies often determine the length of sessions, types of sessions covered, how much you will be reimbursed, and sometimes which therapist you see.

3) Will my spouse, parents, kids, family and loved ones know that I’m in therapy?

It really depends on what you want and the circumstances under which you came to therapy. If you are mandated to come to couples or family therapy by a judge, then of course your family will know that you’re in therapy. But if you are coming of your own will as an adult, you don’t necessarily have to tell anyone that you’re seeing a therapist.

Some people have their family members (like their parents, spouse, etc). In that case, by default, the payer will know that you’re in therapy. However they don’t necessarily get access to your records or get to chat with the therapist about your personal business. It really depends on what you want. Remember- your mental health is your personal business. You can tell whomever you want about what happens in your therapy, but I cannot tell anyone (except I’m doing a mandated report as stated above). In other words, your secrets are safe with me.

And in the case that your spouse, child, in laws, friends or coworkers call me asking for information about you, the standard response I give is “I cannot confirm or deny that I know her.” My lips are sealed unless you give me written permission to speak to a loved one or colleague.

4) Can I be honest with my therapist?

Well do you want to make progress in your life? When you work with me, I typically start where you’re comfortable. We go where you want to go, and talk about the areas that you feel comfortable addressing. I will in no way force you to talk about trauma or childhood memories- except you’re comfortable with it.

As we build more rapport, you will naturally begin to tell me about deeper issues that are bothering you. For therapy to work well, it is important to be honest with your therapist so that we can work together as a team. In my therapy office in Murrieta, there is no room for judgement or blame. I help you uncover your strengths, combat thoughts that don’t work well for you and identify new, positive coping skills. That’s a brief summary of my role as a therapist.

5) What will my first therapy session look like?

Therapy looks different depending on who you choose as your therapist- because we all have different approaches to the work that we do. When you work with me, your first contact with me will either be through a phone call or an email. If it’s through email, I'll ask you to schedule a free 15-minute consultation call with me so that I can find out more about what your struggles are and you can also decide if I’m the best fit for you. I believe very strongly that you have to pick the therapist that is the right fit for you, not the one who is the cheapest or whose office is the closest to your home.

After the consultation call, if you decide to begin services with me, we’ll schedule an appointment and you get to see me either in my therapy office in Murrieta or online. As licensed marriage and family therapist in California, I can see anyone in California through teletherapy- which is kind of like a Skype video call- only through a more secure platform.

During your first therapy session, I’ll collect your payment, ask you questions about your background and what brought you into therapy. And we will work together to create a plan of action so that you can find relief as fast as possible. I’m more of a short term therapy kind of therapist. I like us to find the fastest route to healing because I don’t want you to be in therapy forever!

We typically will meet every week as I see the most progress in clients who see me weekly. When things are improving, naturally we’ll taper down to every other week, then probably once a month.

You’ll sit on my comfy couch, we’ll talk and you’ll get homework sometimes (yes, I’m a fan of homework) to ensure that you’re able to implement what you learned. I believe therapy should be helpful- not just weekly jibber jabber.

And that’s pretty much it. If you have any other questions about finding a therapist in Murrieta/Temecula, feel free to comment below or email me.

Thinking about starting therapy? I love working with women who struggle with anxiety, people pleasing behaviors and self esteem issues. I also love helping insomniacs sleep through my CBT for insomnia work. If you’re ready to get rid of anxiety or insomnia, click here to request a free 15-min consultation call.

5 Simple ways to gain control of anxiety and fear

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Are you a Highly Sensitive Person?

You have always felt like you're different from other people. You get overwhelmed easily, you feel other people's emotions strongly, certain fabrics feel like sandpaper when they touch your skin, and you tend to get anxious a lot. You don't fit in in the world, your family thinks you're too sensitive, and your friends certainly don't get you. You were called "Weird" when you were growing up, but you've always hated that. You don't enjoy going to the club, other loud places, or being among a large crowd. You also tend to spend a great deal of time on your own. There's something about time alone that soothes you and makes you feel rejuvenated.

Maybe you're simply just unique.

You were created with certain unique gifts that set you apart from the people around you. Maybe that's why you never fit into a box. But let's face it, a part of you always wanted to be understood. A part of you wished others would understand you. But maybe you were never meant to fit in, maybe boxes weren't made for people like you.

A Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) is someone who processes stimuli a lot stronger than others. The term was actually coined by a researcher called Dr Elaine Aron. So you might hear a lot sharper than others, notice little nuances in the environment that others ignore, feel sensations stronger (hence the itchy fabric issue) and even feel emotions more strongly than others. You feelings might get hurt more easily. A HSP is often very empathetic. They might cry more when they watch a sad movie, or they might be completely horrified and might not be able to watch violent movies or play graphic video games. They often see the hurt and the pain that other people try to hide. Because they're so empathetic, others tend to gravitate towards them and pour out their hearts to them. But the problem with this is, a HSP often feels the need to help everyone- leaving her with no energy left for her own emotional needs. If you're curious to see if you're a HSP, take the test here.

Here are some traits of HSPs:

1) People think you're sensitive or shy.

2) You are bothered by loud noises and bright lights.

3) You get frazzled when there's too much going on in your life.

4) You enjoy structure.

5) You avoid violent movies and games.

6) You love spending time all by yourself.

7) You tend to soak up other people's emotions.

So if you take the HSP test and find out that you're a HSP, congrats!! You are one of the chosen few. Only 15% to 20% of people are HSP. This is why others find it difficult to understand you-it's because you're a rarity. So take off the stigma of being weird and different. You are indeed unique- not weird. I love helping HSP women learn how to care for themselves, learn how to maneuver their way in this loud world so that they can how harness their innate gifts and create meaningful relationships. Click here to schedule a free 15 minute consultation call, so I can help you move from emotionally exhausted woman to a master boundary setter. I also provide online counseling for women throughout CA.

5 Simple ways to gain control of anxiety and fear

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