– Therapy for Anxiety in Nashville: Manifestations of the Body

Last Updated on May 4, 2023 by Chris Roberts

THERAPY FOR ANXIETY IN NASHVILLE: MANIFESTATIONS OF THE BODY

When people typically think of therapy for anxiety in Nashville, they believe that all of the therapy will be focused on our minds and our soul. While anxiety does exist in our brain and in our soul it also manifests itself in our physical body. Many people are skeptical of encountering psychotherapy in Nashville, TN, precisely because of the name: Psychotherapy! However, psychotherapy is no different than physical therapy or massage therapy. Psychotherapy is simply therapy (the work of healing and health) for the mind, the heart, and the soul. Psychotherapy is a big, scary word. But it doesn’t have to be. And sometimes, the things like anxiety can be addressed through the soma, through the body.

When we get anxious, we usually exhibit physical symptoms like an increased heart rate, sweaty palms and underarms, jittery legs and hangs, and faster breathing. The increased energy that accompanies anxiety is usually not enjoyable to anyone. In fact, if you have ever spent time with an anxious person you may notice an increase of energy in your own body. Anxiety is contagious. Part of the reason anxiety is contagious is because of its physical nature.

New research, however, is beginning to understand the link between an anxious brain and an anxious body. As such, there are a bevy of physical interventions that a person can use to help break the overwhelming experiences of anxiety. When we get anxious, we usually go into some representation of a “trance.” This isn’t some reified state where we lose consciousness. By “trance” I simply mean a consistent state of thinking and acting that gets hyper-focused on the anxiety. Physically, this can look like clinching our fists, crossing our arms, or creating patterns of tapping our feet or fingers. For some people, it can look like staring straight ahead and being completely still. In all of these actions, anxiety puts our physical bodies on auto-pilot, and we become locked in to a specific way of moving or acting.

HOW THERAPY FOR ANXIETY IN NASHVILLE CAN HELP

New neurological research can help scientists “see” how brain patterns develop and form during anxiety and what alternative actions can break those patterns. For instance, if you are sitting down, you can raise your right toes slightly off the ground while lifting your left hand (ever so subtly) and then repeat using the opposite appendages. This switching back and forth of opposite hands and feet creates a cross-connection between parts of your brain. As you both focus on this somewhat difficult task and connect different parts of your brain, the “trance” of anxiety can be (almost) immediately broken! Basically, we can’t focus as specifically on our anxiety if our brain is operating in a cross-connected pattern! It’s such a simple intervention, yet wildly effective.

Anxiety is an absolute beast. If left unaddressed, it can seep into so many different parts of our life. We can be anxious about school, about work, about our spouse, about friends, about social situations, and even about clerk at our local supermarket. If you’ve dealt with anxiety, you know this to be all too true.

Therapy for anxiety in Nashville can help individuals create physical action plans for disrupting the debilitating effects of anxiety. If you are noticing that you hyper-focus on negative events, or can’t let go of stressful situations, then you may be experiencing the harmful effects of anxiety. Chris Roberts is a licensed professional counselor in Nashville with many years experience helping people deal more effectively with anxiety. If you have questions or concerns about your worry or stress, Chris would love the opportunity to speak with you more about your needs.