Ask a therapist > Anxiety > Having a lot of anxiety in a lot of different environments is there any way to resolve?

Having a lot of anxiety in a lot of different environments is there any way to resolve?

For as long as I can remember I have had anxiety about asking for help or asking for things from my parents or an adult (when I was little), my parents haven’t been separated since I was 1.5. My anxiety got really bad in fourth grade what I was diagnosed with dyslexia. Even going places to meet new people or going somewhere where I know there will be a lot of people is very stressful and I get very anxious. Recently I got a little Pittbull mix and having him around when I can helps reduce the amount of anxiety I have when I go to places where there are a lot of people. And especially at school my stress and anxiety has gone down and my grades picked up this semester.

Asked by Jart

Anxiety

Worry

Answered

05/04/2022

Jart,

Hello, it is very nice to meet you. Thank you for telling me and sharing about yourself. It sounds like your experiences with anxiety can feel very debilitating at times. If you and I were working together in therapy, I would want to know more about your background and how you managed this anxiety while growing up. You mention feeling anxious when asking others for help. I would want to know more about that. What is it that you are anxious about in asking for help? It is okay to not know everything and to need help from others sometimes.

One of the best ways to successfully tackle this anxiety is to keep addressing it. By that I mean, keep going out and meeting new people and going to new places. Even if you start off small, that's okay. The more you do it, that more comfortable you will get with it.

What are some things that you find to be soothing for you? You mention having recently gotten a puppy. Animals, dogs in particular, are excellent sources of emotional support. Animals can help keep us calm. Exercise can also be very soothing. Meditation and yoga can be helpful.

It sounds like whatever you have been doing recently has been working, as your grades have improved and your anxiety with school has decreased. Try to be mindful of what it going on when the anxiety comes up. What is going on around you? What are you thinking about?

One other very important thing to remember is that everything in our lives falls into one of two categories - things we have control over (our words, our actions, our behaviors, etc) and things we have no control over (everything else)! If you are feeling anxiety about something which you have no control over, reframe the thought and focus on something else. Accept that you have no control over the situation and give yourself permission to stop stressing/worrying about it. You might also find it helpful to speak more with a therapist or counselor who would be able to work with you on the anxiety issues.

I hope that you have found this information helpful. I wish you all the best moving forward in your journey.

Mrs. Rebecca Jarrell

LPCC