Anxiety

Anxiety does not have feel like a life sentence…

Anxiety is a normal human response to stress and challenging situations. It's your body's way of trying to keep you safe from something it perceives a potential threat.  However, chronic stress can cause your nervous system to malfunction and create a state where your body is always on high alert.

 Here’s how this may show up in your body:

  • Feeling on edge, nervous

  • Constant worry

  • Difficulty concentrating

  • Irritability

  • Feeling like something bad will happen

  • Difficulty falling or staying asleep

  • Fatigue

  • Muscle tension

For AAPI and BIPOC folks, anxiety can result from various cultural and societal expectations.

Some of these dynamics include:

  • Feeling the pressure from family to do well academically and get a respectable job

  • Feeling the pressure to follow a strict timeline set by family to finish school, get married, have kids, buy a home etc.

  • Feeling like you have “no voice” when it comes to expressing your opinion with family

  • Being parentified by your family at times and then being infantilized at other times

  • Having difficulty setting “workable” boundaries with your family where you honor them and also hold true to what you value

  • Feeling like you have to “shrink” in spaces because you feel as if you do not belong, even though you do, leading to imposter syndrome

  • Having to navigate complex family dynamics and conflicts due to our collectivist culture which puts precedence on family needs over individualism

  • Having difficulty navigating bicultural identities and the varying values each culture holds

With cultural dynamics that focus on the appearance of perfection, having anxiety does not make you any less valuable as a person.

Anxiety can be managed with the right tools and support.

Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.  Here’s how therapy can help:

  • We will identify triggers by exploring past experiences and patterns that contribute to your anxiety allowing you to recognize and manage them more effectively.

  • We will work collaboratively to explore effective communication strategies, including setting appropriate boundaries, to navigate conflicts with family, coworkers, etc., fostering healthier and more understanding relationships.

  • You will be equipped with therapeutic interventions like mindfulness practices and relaxation techniques to reduce stress and anxiety.

  • You will be taught to practice self-compassion versus self-criticism. You will learn to identify and appreciate your small steps towards progress instead of focusing on perfectionism. 

  • Therapy with a culturally sensitive therapist, like myself, will allow you to explore parts of your culture you want to honor and explore the parts that no longer serve your needs. 

Remember, you are not alone! Seeking help is a sign of strength!

Please schedule a consult to see how therapy can help you manage your anxiety and improve your quality of life.