If there is a specific situation or thing that triggers your anxiety/panic attacks that you find yourself routinely avoiding, you might actually be experiencing a phobia. While it’s not uncommon to have a phobia, if you’re experiencing a phobia that is severe enough to prevent you from participating in life like you want/need to, it may be helpful to work on this.

Phobias can disrupt your life by preventing you from doing something you genuinely want to do, such as traveling, spending time building connections with others, going outside or to specific places or even interacting with animals. They can also prevent you from doing things that you really need to do, such as attending medical and dental appointments or leaving your house. They can be really specific and individual, or focused on more general situations.

Phobias are really frustrating, disheartening and can even be embarrassing. It’s really important to remember that phobias and anxiety generally do not come out of nowhere. If your brain and nervous system has learned to have a fear response, it can learn to not have it with some practice. 

Therapy for anxiety and phobias can help you to understand your fear and reactions better, learn new ways to look at and approach stressful situations, build your confidence in navigating them, and develop better ways to cope with navigating the world overall. I would absolutely love to help get you there. If you feel like these things resonate with you, I would love for you to reach out today for a free consultation.