When your mind keeps asking “what if?”, it can be difficult to feel fully present. Anxiety may show up as constant worry, avoiding situations you once enjoyed, or imagining the worst before anything has happened.
Panic can bring a sudden rush of fear, a racing heart, breathlessness or dizziness. These sensations can be frightening. New, severe or unexplained physical symptoms need medical assessment rather than being assumed to be anxiety.
Understanding the Pattern
Isobel’s integrative approach combines psychological understanding with practical ways to settle the body, work with anxious thoughts and gradually reduce avoidance. Together, you explore what triggers anxiety and what keeps it going, at a pace that feels manageable.
EMDR therapy may be part of this work where appropriate. Its focus can include past experiences, present triggers and distressing imagined future scenarios, including catastrophic worries and beliefs such as “I won’t cope”. It can also be used in work with specific fears and phobias, following assessment.
Making More Room for Life
The aim is not to eliminate every anxious feeling, but to help you respond with greater confidence and freedom. Therapy can support you in returning to the relationships, activities and opportunities that matter to you.
For more, read Isobel’s article on understanding repetitive negative thinking.
You can also find independent information in the NHS guide to panic disorder.
Anxiety and Catastrophic Thinking
The video below explores anxiety, catastrophic thinking and practical ways to interrupt the cycle.