Anxiety is the most common mental illness in Canada and one in five Canadians will experience a mental health illness in their lifetime (Statistics Canada - Mind Your Mind). 

 

Anxiety has been on the rise in recent years and the notion has been that anxiety is strictly an individual issue.  The easiest way for most people to address mental health issues is to place the blame solely on the individual.  However it is impossible to live in the world without being affected by the world.      

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Anxiety has a number of tools at its disposal that can be used to alleviate symptoms in the present moment.  Anxiety throws you into the future, anticipating what might go wrong.  Symptoms might include racing heart, sweating, tension, dizziness, dread, fear, fainting, etc.  However, treating the symptoms and not the origin will only reduce symptoms short term. 

 

Anxiety is a sympathetic nervous system state (freeze, faint) that drives the individual to run, panic, avoid, worry, and live in fear.  In the moment, the response is necessary as it helps the individual avoid scary situations or removes them from danger/perceived danger.  The issue arises when the anxiety continues, leaving the individual in a constant state of flight.  Helping the individual process and release these experiences, learn to regulate their emotions and nervous system, and develop ongoing connections with supportive individuals will result in optimal outcomes. 

  

Outpatient treatment for anxiety allows the individual the time, space, and support within an intensive format to learn, manage, and heal for optimal brain health.