Anxiety affects everyone and, for all of us, manifests more prominently at times of increased stress. Some individuals experience more stressors and are more prone to anxiety. These include people who are highly successful in life, people who demand a lot of themselves, and people who are constantly challenging themselves to compete.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Being highly competitive can work in your favor — until it doesn’t” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]By objective standards, you may well have achieved impressive accomplishments and significant success in your life. (Whether or not you’re satisfied with your level of success is another matter entirely.)
As a general rule, if you identify as being highly competitive, you are also almost certainly highly ambitious. You set high standards for yourself, and consistently challenge yourself to outdo your own performance and outdo your peers.
Athleticism for example is one key area where you can challenge yourself, compete against others, receive public accolades, and enjoy the chemical dopamine reward hit that keeps you coming back for more. Competition can enter any area of your life. Work promotions, academic achievement, romantic partners, and even our children can all become measures by which we rank our competitive standing.
The problem is that at a certain point, you inevitably reach a plateau where you can no longer keep outdoing your own best, or sustain the unreasonably high standards you’ve set for yourself.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1663497964617{padding-top: 50px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;background-color: #f7f7f7 !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”The double-edged sword of success” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]High standards and perfectionist tendencies can create the perfect environment for anxiety, especially when you feel a need to maintain sometimes unreasonably high standards of success. It’s gratifying when you do your job well. It also means that you are always on a treadmill and always running to avoid failure or not matching up to your goals.
If your self-esteem depends on your continued success and the constant pressure to succeed, you will always be experiencing heightened levels of anxiety. (Interestingly though, anxiety often has more to do with the potential outcome — the anticipation of what might go wrong — than the reality of your life today.) When some anxiety gives you a competitive edge, anxiety is doing its job. When anxiety makes it difficult for you to sleep, to get along with people, causes panic attacks, or interferes with your help it is time to get help.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1663511384342{margin-top: 50px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Anxiety at work, home, and in relationships” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]Anxiety can really affect anyone, in almost any aspect of life. While it’s normal for most people to experience some level of anxiety in certain circumstances, people with an anxiety disorder find that their anxiety affects their daily functioning in one of the core aspects of life; usually related to work, home or relationships:
- Anxiety can affect you professionally, preventing you from advancing in your career, getting promotions, or effectively running your business.
- Anxiety can affect your home life, making what should be your safe haven into an unpleasant, strained, or unhealthy environment.
- Anxiety can also prevent you from developing and maintaining close friendships and romantic relationships, limiting your potential for overall life satisfaction.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1663497748793{margin-top: 30px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Treatment for anxiety” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]Psychotherapy and/or medication are the two main treatments for anxiety disorders. Often, it takes some trial and error to determine which medications or which approaches in psychotherapy are most effective for you. We will work together — and with your psychotherapist, if you are in therapy — to tailor treatment for your needs and your goals.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
