Symptomatology
Anxiety is a natural protective mechanism. When it occurs excessively often and/or without reason, however, and severely impairs quality of life, it should be considered clinically relevant.
Anxiety often manifests in psychological as well as physical symptoms. Even imagining a situation can already trigger strong fear, for example through palpitations, a sense of physical weakness or fear of dying, sweating, pressure on the chest, fainting sensations, loss of control, shortness of breath or feelings of suffocation.
Therapeutic approach
Behavioural-therapy treatment supports you in better understanding your condition, sharpening your perception so that bodily reactions can be interpreted appropriately, and recognising and breaking through avoidance behaviour.
The aim is to lift the restrictions on your quality of life and, where possible, to reactivate lost professional or personal aspects or to open new perspectives.
Frequently asked questions
- When does anxiety become clinically relevant?
- Anxiety is clinically relevant when it occurs excessively often, without an obvious cause, and significantly restricts quality of life. Avoidance behaviour and physical symptoms such as palpitations or shortness of breath often accompany it. The first session includes a diagnostic clarification.
- Which anxiety disorders do you treat?
- Panic disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, social phobia, specific phobias (such as fear of flying, heights, animal phobias) and agoraphobia. For mixed presentations, for example with depressive symptoms, we plan treatment along several tracks.
- What happens in exposure therapy?
- You approach anxiety-provoking situations step by step in a safe setting, prepared and accompanied together. The aim is for you to experience that anxiety subsides on its own, without anything bad actually happening.
- Do I really have to face my fears?
- Exposure is one of the most effective components, but only happens at a pace and to an extent you can support. We first build the necessary understanding of your reactions and develop tools that help you feel up to the situations.
- How long does therapy for anxiety disorders take?
- Often between 25 and 50 sessions. Clearly defined phobias sometimes resolve faster; complex anxiety disorders or comorbidities take longer. The exact course is agreed after diagnostics.
