Anxiety & Depression Counseling

Anxiety & Depression Counseling - Foundations Family Counseling - Denver - Boulder - Littleton

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health problems in America. Millions of people experience the crippling worry, doubt and intrusiveness of anxiety as well as the painful hollowness of depression. Many also struggle to cope with both of these conditions at the same time.

If you feel ashamed, embarrassed or weak for your depression or anxiety, know that you are not alone. In fact, half of all Americans with anxiety and depression don’t get help for their symptoms. But you are not weak for experiencing thoughts and feelings beyond your control.

Reaching out to a counselor can help you make your symptoms more bearable; you won’t experience relief overnight, but you can begin to find ways that make life easier.

Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety can come in a variety of forms. Everyone is nervous or anxious now and again, but there is a limit. If your brain feels like you have no “off switch,” and your thoughts are so loud that you can’t escape them for even a minute, you are most likely dealing with an anxiety problem that needs to be addressed in counseling.

Many people experience anxiety or panic attacks, but anxiety can be much more subtle, too. Anxiety can look like any of the following:

Procrastinating work or assignments because you are afraid to fail
Avoiding social interactions
Difficulty falling asleep, and waking up with your mind racing
Carrying a lot of muscle tension
Frequently upset stomach for no reason
Feeling incapable to let a thought or worry go until you do a specific action

Through therapy, you can learn how to recognize the irrational beliefs that often cause anxiety. You will also learn how to handle rational anxiety that’s linked to things like work, relationships and general life stressors. Anxiety itself is not the culprit; in fact, it can be a valuable tool that directs your attention to important things.

Understanding your anxiety’s triggers and learning how to respond to your worries are primary goals in therapy.

Signs and Symptoms of Depression

Feeling sad is not the only sign of depression. In fact, many people who are depressed don’t realize the extent of their problem because they feel nothing at all. Depression can come out of the blue, crashing down like a wave, or it can slowly creep up on you, robbing your joy, pleasure and sense of fulfillment in life.

There is no prerequisite for depression. Many people who live happy lives can find themselves struggling; it is no one’s fault. Some warning signs of depression to look out for include

Some warning signs of depression to look out for include:

Feeling sad or down more days than not
Trouble sleeping, wanting to sleep all the time or constantly feeling tired
Changes in appetite
No longer finding hobbies enjoyable
Lack of interest and motivation
Feeling guilty, regretful over the past and worthless

Treatment for Depression and Anxiety

Whether you experience social anxiety, general anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder, having depression on top of your anxious symptoms can make you feel like there’s no way to find peace again.

We know this isn’t the case. You do not have to choose a life of fear or emptiness; both anxiety and depression are highly treatable, and when you start to tackle one, you begin to see improvement in the other.

Our practice adopts a holistic approach that allows you to address all the areas of anxiety and depression are affecting your life; from improving your physical well-being to adopting healthy coping strategies, we want to help you establish a strong routine you can rely on throughout the course of treatment.