Common Reasons to Begin Counseling
Restless and Nervous
Are you feeling stressed out and exhausted all the time? I bet! And when you try to sit down and relax you start feeling restless. It feels like you missed something and everyone or everything seems to depend on you. Those quiet moments you long for or being in the present has become a rarity because you feel on the edge most of the time.
It’s hard to go with the flow when you are feeling nervous. You are the person that fixes everything and being prepared makes you feel safe and gives you a sense of control. But feeling in control does not last long because the worries start to set in with thoughts like, “What if…?” or “What’s next?”
Tired and Ruminating
By now, you have gotten used to a glass or two of wine to help you relax at night and stop the thoughts, but you feel terrible the next day. You start your day with coffee and the next thing you know, you feel jittery and it triggers the anxiety. It is a roller-coaster and going to sleep is another obstacle. When it’s time to go to bed, you replay the day in your mind. Now, you can’t fall asleep or you’re waking up with racing thoughts and looking at the clock. “Gosh! Why can’t I sleep?” and “I have to get up in 4 hrs… 3 hrs… 2 hrs.”
You worry if you have insomnia because you’ve been waking up at 2 or 3 am with ruminating thoughts and starring at the clock.
Perfectionism
You are always making sure your work is perfect and you do not trust anyone else to do it the same way, your way. So, you work hard and tirelessly to get it done, but then your inner critic steps in. “Wait! Maybe I missed something? Let me look at it one more time.”
Even when the feedback is great, your inner critic makes you doubt that they really mean it. Because you concentrate and work so hard; your are always tired and it feels like you cannot catch up with things.
Feeling Alone
You have a circle of friends, but whatever you do you just do not feel like you belong. So, you pretend and put on your happy face. But inside, it feels like the worries thoughts never stop: “What if they find out how I really feel?” or “What if I say something wrong, and they don’t get me?”
Often, you find yourself rehearsing what you are going to say and limit your responses only to end up feeling awkward and disappointed in yourself. Then, you replay the scene back in your mind and get frustrated with yourself for how you should have responded.
Physical Symptoms
Out of the blue, you have been having physical symptoms. At times, you think the worry is normal, but recently it has gotten worse. The other day, you went from numbness to all tingly. Your heart was pounding, and thoughts were racing, it was hart to breathe. You think it could have been a panic attack, it scared you. Now you’re thinking that you need to find someone you can trust, who could really understand you and can help you through it.
Any of these sound familiar?
