Therapy for anxiety issues in Amsterdam

Generalized anxiety disorder

Generalized-anxiety disorder (GAS) is characterized by persistent anxiety and worry about a variety of, often mundane, issues. The worries lead to feelings of tension and anxiety. Now, everyone suffers from worrying and everyone is tense or anxious from time to time. The difference is that GAS patients are in such a state of mind more often, and for longer periods of time, because they see more dangers and because they have more difficulty controlling the brooding. They are constantly anticipating possible problems.

Social anxiety disorder

Social anxiety disorder is a persistent fear of being negatively evaluated by other people in social situations. The fear of negative evaluation relates to how one appears to others socially (e.g., anxious, weak, weird, inane, boring, intimidating, dirty, incompetent or not nice). Patients fear that they will behave a certain way or come across in a certain way that provokes negative judgment, for example, making a "stupid" comment, saying something inappropriate, or letting something slip out of their hands. In addition, they fear negative judgment because of showing signs of anxiety in social situations such as blushing, trembling, sweating or stumbling over words.

One of the most effective forms of treatment for social anxiety disorder is cognitive behavioral therapy. Treatment focuses on changing the psychological mechanisms that maintain it: dysfunctional cognitions, self-focused attention and safety behaviors. Clients are encouraged during so-called behavioral experiments to seek out feared social situations while focusing their attention outward and abandoning their safety behaviors. It is then examined whether their negative assumptions actually came true.

Separation anxiety

Separation anxiety is considered an evolutionarily determined behavioral response. For example, babies between 9 and 13 months tend to cry when the caring parent disappears from sight. As children grow older, they begin to move through the world more autonomously and do more things separately from their parents. Separation anxiety then gradually decreases, but may occasionally intensify again when a major life event occurs, for example, when a child goes to elementary school for the first time, someone close to them dies, parents divorce or become seriously ill. Separation anxiety thus appears to be a normal, biologically anchored mechanism, but there are children, adolescents and adults who react excessively anxious and tense in situations that separate them from important attachment persons.

Panic disorder

The main feature of panic disorder is the panic attack, a clearly delineated period of intense fear or tension that can occur from either a calm or anxious state and without actual danger. The attack is accompanied by physical (e.g., palpitations, sweating, feeling of suffocation, trembling/ trembling) or cognitive symptoms, which come on suddenly and climax within minutes.

Address your anxiety symptoms

Fortunately, effective treatment methods have been developed to help you get rid of anxiety. I would like to help you with this process. To work with me, you can contact me without obligation. We will make an appointment soon.