Written by Melissa Higgins
You are welcome here.
Anxiety can affect every part of life: your thoughts, your body, your relationships, your sleep, and your sense of what might happen next. Feeling overwhelmed, restless, or constantly on edge can be exhausting. You are not alone, and you do not have to navigate those feelings without support.
Women’s mental health deserves compassionate, individualized care. Anxiety may be connected to stress, trauma, depression, major life changes, health concerns, relationship difficulties, or the many responsibilities you carry each day. Your mind and body may be trying to tell you something. How would it feel to have a safe place to explore the answer?
The Center for Therapy & Counseling Services welcomes all residents of New Jersey. Through therapy and counseling services, our team offers support that honors your unique story, identity, strengths, and goals.
ANXIETY & WOMEN
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health issues in women—more common than depression, in fact. One in three women will experience anxiety during their lifetime, and often depression and anxiety go hand-in-hand. Women are also twice as likely as men to develop an anxiety disorder, and symptoms tend to appear earlier in life for women.
So, what, exactly, is anxiety?
Clients have described anxiety in many ways: feeling constantly on edge, having a mind that will not shut off, or being unable to stop thinking about everything they need to do and worrying about everything that could happen.
Anxiety is, first and foremost, a feeling.
If something is wrong and we feel worried, stressed, or afraid, anxiety helps set off the sympathetic nervous system, raising our heart rate and blood pressure and setting off stress hormones, like cortisol, in the brain, preparing us for action, telling us, ‘You need to do something about this!’ When we take action, or when we are able to relieve the stressor or resolve the situation, our mind is supposed to shut off, our parasympathetic nervous system returning our body to a calmer state, heart rate slowing to normal, stress hormones subsiding. We need anxiety to warn us of danger or to make us take action when something needs to get done.
What is an ‘Anxiety Disorder?’
Chronic anxiety comes from an overactive stress response. Instead of resuming a calmer state once the threat has been overcome, the parasympathetic nervous system doesn’t kick in for those with an anxiety disorder. Instead, the mind stays on, keeping the body on high alert, even when there is no actual present threat. This keeps cortisol coursing through the body, blood pressure high, and heart rate working over time. Understandably, it becomes very difficult to relax, for the brain to shut off, to sleep. In turn, poor sleep and little relaxation contribute to anxiety and depression, among other things, and the cycle continues. It’s exhausting just thinking about it!
Anxiety disorders can look different from person to person. Some women experience racing thoughts or persistent worry. Others notice panic, muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, digestive discomfort, avoidance, or a constant feeling that something is wrong.
Could anxiety be affecting more of your life than you first realized?
A mental health professional can help you understand what you are experiencing without judgment. Evaluation may also help distinguish anxiety from physical health conditions that can produce similar symptoms. You deserve care that looks at the whole person: not just one symptom.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
There are several forms of anxiety disorder, including: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (intense, pervasive anxiety), Panic Disorder (including panic attacks), Specific Phobias (or extreme fears), Social Phobia (or fear of social situations), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD, consisting of obsessive, stress-filled thoughts and compulsions to alleviate the stress), and Post traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD, with a traumatic trigger, followed by re-experiencing the event, like in nightmares, flashbacks, numbing/avoidance of things associated with the event, and heightened state of arousal).
These conditions may share some symptoms, but each person’s experience is different. One woman may feel anxious primarily in social situations. Another may wake up with dread, struggle to fall asleep, or experience panic in places that once felt familiar.
Which patterns are you noticing? When did they begin? Consider which situations make them stronger and what helps, even briefly.
These questions are not about blaming yourself.
They are ways of gathering information. Your story is information, not a verdict. With the right support, stories can be edited, reorganized, and rewritten.
What Can You Do for Anxiety?
You don’t have to suffer through living with anxiety. Treatments are available and highly successful.
The ‘gold standard’ for anxiety treatment is a combination of anti-anxiety medication (including antidepressants, which also reduce anxiety) and psychotherapy. The medication works to correct the overactive brain chemistry while therapy teaches techniques and skills for how to manage daily symptoms. Either one of these treatments on their own will likely be beneficial, as well, research shows.
Finding Anxiety Treatment NJ That Fits Your Life
Seeking help is not a sign that you are weak, difficult, or failing. It is an act of attention. It is a decision to listen to yourself, honor yourself, and care for yourself.
Effective anxiety treatment may include psychotherapy, medication monitoring, or a combination of both. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, often called CBT, can help you identify thought patterns that intensify anxiety and practice more balanced responses. Other approaches may support emotional regulation, trauma recovery, mindfulness, relationships, or daily functioning.
Treatment should be collaborative.
Your symptoms, history, preferences, goals, and pace can all be part of the conversation with your therapist. Ask questions, notice what feels helpful, and keep working, keep learning, keep trying, keep getting better.
At The Center for Therapy & Counseling Services, care is available in person and online for individuals, couples, and families throughout New Jersey.
Flexible appointments may be available in the morning, at noon, at night, and on weekends.
Would online counseling make it easier to begin? Would an in-person session help you feel more connected? There is no single right way to receive support.
A Whole-Person Approach to Women’s Mental Health
Anxiety rarely exists in only one area of life. It can affect the way you think, feel, behave, connect with others, care for your body, and find meaning.
That is why the Center’s Six Paths to Wellness program considers cognitive, emotional, behavioral, interpersonal, physical, and spiritual wellness.
Which path needs your attention right now?
Worry may be crowding your cognitive path, while your emotional path may feel difficult to name. Disrupted sleep, avoidance, or exhaustion may have affected your behavioral path. Could your interpersonal path benefit from stronger boundaries or more support?
There is room to begin wherever you are.
When Should You Consider Anxiety Therapy?
Consider reaching out to a qualified mental health professional when anxiety:
- Feels difficult to control.
- Interferes with sleep, work, school, caregiving, or relationships.
- Leads you to avoid places, people, or activities.
- Causes frequent panic attacks or intense physical symptoms.
- Continues even when you are trying hard to manage it on your own.
- Is accompanied by depression, trauma symptoms, hopelessness, or thoughts of self-harm.
You are not required to wait until anxiety becomes unbearable.
A therapist, counselor, physician, or psychiatric provider can help you determine what kind of care may be appropriate. If physical symptoms such as chest pain or difficulty breathing are new, severe, or uncertain, seek medical attention promptly. If you are in immediate danger or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 in the United States or call 911 for emergency assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anxiety in Women
Is anxiety more common in women?
Anxiety disorders affect women at higher rates than men. However, every person’s experience is individual. Anxiety can be influenced by biology, stress, trauma, environment, relationships, and other mental or physical health factors.
What is the best anxiety treatment NJ option?
No single treatment is best for everyone. Psychotherapy, medication, or a combination may be recommended based on your symptoms, history, preferences, and goals. A qualified provider can help you explore your options.
Can therapy help with anxiety?
Yes. Anxiety therapy can help you understand the cycle of worry, identify thoughts and behaviors that maintain anxiety, learn coping skills, and gradually return to activities that anxiety has made difficult.
Do I have to know exactly what is wrong before starting counseling NJ?
No. Begin with what you do know: “I don’t feel like myself,” “I can’t relax,” or “I need help.” A compassionate therapist can help you make sense of the rest.
For additional general information, visit the Mayo Clinic’s overview of anxiety or the Cleveland Clinic’s guide to anxiety disorders. These resources are educational and do not replace an evaluation from a qualified healthcare professional.
You Are Welcome Here
Your humanity is messy, beautiful, changing, and growing.
Anxiety may be part of your story, but it does not have to write every chapter. Asking for help is a meaningful first step. New tools are available to explore, and room remains for rest, connection, understanding, and hope.
Your symptoms are real. Your story matters. And support is available.
If you are ready to explore services at the Center, you are welcome to reach out. We serve all people and respect the many identities, backgrounds, relationships, and life paths that make each person unique.
You do not have to walk this path alone.
With peace and hope,
Melissa
