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Anxiety Treatment Australia
Anxiety Australia is an anxiety clinic in Hawthorn, Melbourne that is run by Catherine Madigan, who is a clinical psychologist. She primarily focuses on treating anxiety disorders and stress management techniques to individuals and businesses through one on one consultations and stress management workshops.
She offers professional, discreet and confidential treatment options that work.
Catherine’s effective anxiety treatments offered in Melbourne can help you overcome disorders such as:
- Generalised Anxiety Disorder (excessive worrying)
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (e.g. this condition may develop after: a motor vehicle accident, an assault, or some other event where the individual was exposed to a life threatening or severely injurious situation which involved themselves or others).
- Panic Disorder (anxiety attacks)
- Specific Phobias (e.g. heights, dogs, spiders, blood etc.)
- Social Anxiety (fear of being negatively judged or evaluated by others)
- Body Dysmorphic Disorder (excessive preoccupation with one’s appearance, worrying about an imagined defect or blowing out of proportion a slight flaw in one’s appearance).
- Hoarding
Call now for an appointment on 0429 883 671
The www.anxietyaustralia.com.au/ website provides information about anxiety disorders and the treatment options available. You will also find contact details for other psychologists around Australia who have substantial experience in and/or work primarily with anxiety disorders.
Catherine Madigan is a Melbourne based Clinical Psychologist. She is passionate about empowering clients with confidence. The reason her focus is primarily on the treatment of anxiety disorders is that she gains great satisfaction by witnessing the freedom and life changing results her therapies can deliver.
The Incidence of Anxiety Disorders in Australia
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders in Australia, with 1/7 people (14% of the population) reporting having had an anxiety disorder in the last 12 months. Women are more likely to have an anxiety disorder than men, 18% vs 11%. ABS National Survey of Mental Health & Wellbeing, Summary of Results 2007.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety or fear is a normal response to a present or imagined threat. Mild fear can be helpful as it enables us to respond quickly when faced with a dangerous situation and to be alert in difficult situations (e.g. exams). However, excessive fear may lead to people being paralysed e.g. soldiers under attack may be so afraid they can’t move to take cover, public speakers may find they go blank, forget their lines and are rendered speechless.
Anxiety is a normal emotion as it affects most people and is widespread. You would be abnormal if you didn’t experience fear sometimes. However, if your anxiety is out of proportion to the situation you are experiencing and/or persists in the absence of threat, e.g you worry about events months ahead or are experiencing anxiety long after the danger has passed, you may need professional help.
Why am I experiencing anxiety symptoms?
Some people are more prone to experiencing anxiety than others and it is not caused by just one thing but by a combination of factors including: genetics, family environment and traumatic life experiences. Sufferers may have unhelpful thinking patterns such as perfectionist standards. Nevertheless, you can learn to manage your anxiety more effectively.
Do I have an anxiety disorder?
Although it is normal to experience some degree of fear at times, it may be problematic if it occurs when no real threat is present or if the symptoms persists long after the danger has passed.
It is normal for some people to wonder if they have an anxiety problem or not, and whether they should seek help. If your anxiety is severe and/or disabling you may need treatment. If you are distressed or negatively impaired in your ability to function at home, work, school or university, or in social settings you may need professional advice.
What are anxiety symptoms?
Behavioural Anxiety Symptoms
- Agitation/restlessness
- Pacing
- Pressured speech
- Fidgeting with ones hands
- Avoidance of feared situations or objects
- Cognitive Anxiety Symptoms
- Confusion
- Inability to concentrate
- Mind going blank
- Recurrent thoughts
- Physical Anxiety Symptoms
- Blushing
- Sweating
- Shaking/trembling
- Dizziness
- Tachycardia, rapid heartbeat
- Muscle tension
- Nausea
- Numbness or tingling in arms, hands or legs
- Diarrhoea
- Headaches
- Butterflies in the stomach
These are some of the more common anxiety symptoms that indicate a persons anxiety levels are not being well managed.
How should I cope with my anxiety symptoms?
Should I just avoid things and situations which trigger symptoms?
Some people cope with their anxiety symptoms by self medicating with alcohol and/or other drugs (e.g. marijuana) however this strategy can lead to people becoming alcohol or drug dependent and stops them from overcoming their anxiety disorder.
Many people cope with their symptoms by avoiding situations or objects which trigger their fear. However, avoidance is only a short term solution to your anxiety disorder and does not address the root of your problem. Until you address your psychological disorder, it may remain an issue for you and may spread/generalise to other situations. e.g. someone who experiences a panic attack in a supermarket may start off avoiding supermarkets, but then decide they should avoid any crowded building, e.g. shopping centres, stadiums, theatres to minimise the possibility of having a panic attack and therefore end up leading a very restricted life in terms of places they can go.
Avoidance may give you relief temporarily but the next time the situation you fear pops up, you are no better off. Every time you avoid something, it is harder to do it the next time the situation happens. Most importantly, avoidance stops you from doing things you want to do and therefore prevents you from achieving desired goals and leading the life you want to lead.
