Anxiety Therapy in Casper, WY

Stress and anxiety are not the same thing

Most of us use the two words as if they mean the same thing. Brandon's way of explaining the difference comes from Polyvagal Theory, which looks at the states our nervous system moves through during the day.

Stress is the body gearing up to meet a demand in front of it, like a deadline, a family conflict or a tight month financially. The fight-or-flight system switches on, and a little of it can even help you get things done. When the demand passes, the body usually comes back down.

Anxiety tends to stay on after the demand is gone, or shows up with no clear cause at all. The nervous system has trouble finding its way back to the calm, connected state where we feel safe. Instead it can loop in overdrive, or sometimes drop into freeze and shutdown.

• Stress is usually linked to a specific situation; anxiety often persists without one.
• Stress tends to ease when the challenge is over; anxiety can linger and grow.
• Stress gets you moving; anxiety can leave you stuck on high alert or frozen in place.

Signs that anxiety may be part of the picture

Long stretches of stress can turn into anxiety. If your system rarely gets a chance to rest, it can stay locked in survival mode, which is why people under ongoing pressure often notice anxiety, low mood or burnout creeping in. Some common signs:

• Worry or racing thoughts that are hard to turn off
• A sense of dread, as if something bad is about to happen
• Panic attacks
• Trouble relaxing, even when nothing is wrong
• Physical signs such as chest tightness, an upset stomach or a fast heartbeat
• Irritability, muscle tension, headaches or poor sleep

When anxiety turns into panic

A panic attack can come on fast: a pounding heart, short breath and a strong feeling that something is badly wrong. Afterward, many people start avoiding the store, the highway or the meeting where it happened, and their world slowly gets smaller.

In therapy we look at what your body is doing before and during panic, and practice ways to come back down. Over time, many people find the fear of the next attack loosens its grip, and the places they had been avoiding feel possible again.

What anxiety therapy looks like in Casper, WY

Your first session is a chance to get to know each other, talk about what brings you in and see if we are a good fit. From there we make a plan together. Most sessions are 60 minutes, weekly or every other week.

We often combine a few approaches, chosen around your needs and strengths:

• EMDR, which can help process past experiences that keep feeding anxiety, work on current triggers and rehearse situations you are dreading
• Somatic therapy, which works with body sensations such as a tight chest or restless energy
• Mindfulness-based practices, including grounding and breathwork you can use between sessions

Using insurance for anxiety therapy

We are in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield and also work with Cigna, Optumhealth Behavioral Solutions, Meritain, Allied Benefit Systems, Mountain Health CO-OP, United Health Care, Medicaid and others. If your plan is not listed, call us. We can often bill even when we are out of network.

If you pay on your own, you have the right to a Good Faith Estimate of costs under the No Surprises Act.