Anxiety and Stress

Anxiety Therapist For Men in Chicago

Looking for an anxiety therapist for men in Lakeview Chicago? Living with fear, stress and worry?  Need a therapist in Chicago to help you find healthy coping options?

If the answer is yes, you’ve come to the right place. That’s because much of the work I do as a counselor focuses on the twin worlds of anxiety and stress.

When you think about it, the two go hand in hand. And while they may share similarities, they are uniquely different. You may be wondering how?

I’ll break it down for you in basic terms.

Anxiety – A Chicago Therapist Perspective 

In a nutshell, anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. For example, going to a job interview in the Loop or giving a public presentation on the city’s North Side.

In both situations, you may experience fear, worry, or nervousness. Some of this is normal and to be expected. But if these feelings are left unchecked, they can make life miserable.

In the clinical sense, if you have extreme feelings of apprehension, worry and fear or have struggled with these emotions for more than six-months, you may have an anxiety disorder.

Here is a comprehensive list from the Mayo Clinic to help deepen your understanding.  

There are several different types of anxiety that I work with. These include:

• Social anxiety disorder
• Phobias and fears
• Post-Traumatic Stress
• Generalized Anxiety
• Career anxiety and job worries
• Panic disorder
• Public speaking fears
• Traumas
• Agoraphobia
• Health anxiety

Anxiety and Men – Unique Issues Addressed In Therapy

While anxiety and stress are universal experiences, there are unique issues that specifically impact men. Many of these issues come up and are addressed as part of a male focused anxiety counseling approach. Here are some examples:

• Societal expectations: Men often face societal pressure to be strong, stoic, and emotionally restrained. This can create anxiety as they feel the need to meet these expectations and avoid appearing vulnerable or weak.
• Financial responsibilities: Men may experience anxiety due to the pressure of providing for their families or meeting financial obligations. The fear of job insecurity, debt, or inability to meet expectations can lead to significant stress.
• Career advancement: Men often face pressure to succeed professionally and climb the corporate ladder. The competition, long working hours, and constant need to prove themselves can generate anxiety about job performance and future prospects.
• Relationship challenges: Maintaining healthy relationships can be a source of stress for men. Balancing work, family, and personal life, as well as handling conflicts and communication issues, can contribute to anxiety.
• Parenting expectations: Men may experience anxiety related to fatherhood and the expectations of being a provider, protector, and role model for their children. Balancing work-life demands and trying to meet societal standards of fatherhood can be overwhelming.
• Health concerns: Men may face anxiety related to their physical health, including concerns about developing serious illnesses, performance anxiety, or body image issues. The pressure to maintain a certain physique or meet societal standards of masculinity can contribute to anxiety.
• Emotional expression: Men often face challenges in expressing their emotions openly due to societal norms. This can lead to anxiety as they may struggle to cope with and understand their own feelings or fear judgment for being vulnerable.
• Social isolation: Men may experience anxiety due to feelings of social isolation or a lack of social support. The stigma around seeking help or opening up about mental health issues can prevent men from reaching out and exacerbate their feelings of anxiety.
• Masculinity expectations: Society often imposes rigid expectations on men to conform to certain masculine ideals, such as being tough, independent, and self-reliant. Trying to meet these standards can create anxiety as men may fear judgment or rejection for deviating from them.
• Mental health stigma: Men may face anxiety as a result of the stigma surrounding mental health. The fear of being perceived as weak or less masculine can discourage men from seeking help or talking about their struggles, which can exacerbate their anxiety.

It is important to note that these stressors and anxieties can vary among individuals, and not all men may experience the same pressures. Additionally, these stressors can affect people of all genders, but the focus here is on stressors that are commonly associated with men’s experiences.

Stress – A Chicago Counselor’s Perspective

Stress is that feeling you get when you’re overwhelmed, pressured, or tense about something happening in your life. It’s like a heavy weight on your shoulders that can make you feel worried, anxious, or even irritable. Stress can come from various sources, such as work demands, relationship problems, financial difficulties, or simply juggling multiple responsibilities. It’s your body’s way of reacting to these challenges and signaling that you need to take action or find ways to cope.

While a little stress can sometimes be motivating, too much of it can be harmful to your physical and mental well-being, so it’s important to find healthy ways to manage and reduce stress in your life.

Is Some Stress Normal?

To be sure, all of us experience some amount of stress. Researchers have suggested that some stress may even be good for you. Yes, you read that right.

According to a published report from the University of California at Berkley, stress (small amounts) can act as a barrier against depression. It can also work act as an agent to keep you alert.

In this way, stress feeds into our primal “flight or fight” response. 

When you live in a city like Chicago, your stress levels may be high.  Contributing factors can include snarling traffic on Lakeshore Drive,  changing weather conditions or crowded CTA buses or trains. 

Throw in child-rearing, career challenges, and family obligations and it doesn’t take long to see how stress can skyrocket. 

So, can you become overwhelmed with stress? The answer is – absolutely. 

Are There Different Types of Stress?

The answer is – yes. There are 3 different types of stress that you may not have known about:

• Eustress: This is considered a “good stress”. It happens when we are in certain situations that we find motivational or inspiring. If you fall in love – that might be considered a “good” stress.
• Neustress: This type of stress is neither good or bad (it’s neutral). This term is used to describe sensory stimuli. Example, if you hear about an earthquake on the other side of the world, it would likely peak your senses but not cause anxiety.
• Distress: This is considered the “bad” stress and is often referred to as simply “Stress”.

If you are dealing with distress, you are likely going to fall into two distinct categories:

Acute Stress

Stress that is fairly intense but short in nature. An example might be cramming for an exam due next week or being pulled over for a speeding ticket. The operative words here are short in nature.

One the stress causing event is over (i.e. the exam, getting a ticket), your stress level will generally subside. These types of stresses are common and normal.

Chronic Stress

This particular form of distress is the one that you want to be careful of. Chronic stress is not as intense as acute stress but is usually long in duration.

For example, financial stress might fall under this category if you are struggling to make enough money to live. If you have the type of job with lots of responsibility for metrics (aka meeting a sales number) or if you manage people, you may experience chronic stress.

According to numerous research reports, including information from the American Institute of Stress, chronic stress is associated with illness because your body/mind are in a constant state of arousal.

Let’s take a look at how stress and anxiety can combine in ways that impact your physical life.

Physical Signs of Chronic Anxiety & Stress?

There are numerous ways anxiety and stress can manifest in your body. Bear in mind, not everyone responds the same.  

Here is a partial list of common physical responses I’ve seen with my Chicago clientele. Bear in mind that some of these symptoms may be a sign of a serious medical problem. That’s why it’s important to tell your doctor about any changes in your physical health.  

• Muscle soreness (shoulders, neck and back)
• Gastrointestinal issues like chronic IBS
• Headaches that come on frequently
• Problems sleeping (getting to sleep or staying asleep)
• Frequent blushing/sweating
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Forgetfulness and disorganization
• Increasingly irritable
• Constipation, diarrhea or a mixture of both
• Changes in appetite marked by stress eating or not eating at all.
• Bouts of depression that come from out of the blue
• Increased use of substances, such as alcohol or tobacco.
• Dry mouth, sweaty hands and/or feet
• Relationship problems (arguing, lack of intimacy)
• Exacerbation of current health problems

What can I Do About Chronic Stress and Anxiety?

Chronic anxiety and stress is a sign of life imbalance. At some point, something has to “give” in order to bring about homeostasis; a 25-cent term to describe a psychological state of calmness.

My goal as a therapist in Chicago is to help you find homeostasis before something “gives” – meaning your physical or mental health. There are many things you can do to cope. 

One way is to attend counseling for anxiety so that you can share your story and learn healthy strategies for working through. 

What is Your Approach to Anxiety Therapy?

At its core, anxiety counseling (aka stress therapy) is a form of counseling that directly targets the issues happening in your life that contribute to high levels of stress.

There are a number of ways that I can help you to live a calmer, more relaxed life. As a Chicago therapist and coach, here’s my general approach:

• An examination of your “stress triggers” and identification of what’s possible to change in your life.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) aimed at helping you challenge negative self-talk.
• Teaching you mindfulness based skills that you can use as tools for coping.
• An exploration of your self-talk, which may be negatively contributing to your anxiety.
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), designed to help you balance anxiety with other parts of your persona.
• Hypnotherapy to teach you relaxation and self-calming skills. 
• Mindful exercises in the office and through homework, designed to give you real-world coping tools. 
• Showing you how to engage in autogenic training to create a state of inner peace.
• Coaching you on techniques that can be used to create balance and harmony.
• EMDR to help you uncover the root of your anxiety and move through roadblocks.
• Biofeedback to help you learn emotional self-regulation skills.
• Helping you to identify automatic negative thoughts and changing cognitive distortions.

Anxiety Therapy – Chicago Lakeview Office Location 

My office is conveniently located in the Chicago Lakeview area at the corner of Irving Park Road and Pine Grove Avenue. The building I workout of is Park Place Tower. Steps away from the CTA bus stop and two short blocks from the Red Line (Sheridan Exist.

Street parking is usually available during the day. Valet parking in the building is also available for a fee. Many clients who visit me from other Chicago neighborhoods, like Wicker Park, the Gold Coast and downtown find taking Uber or Lyft to be a simple, stress free option.  

Telehealth Video Sessions

In addition to in person therapy options in Chicago, I also offer telehealth options. In this way, you would work with me using a HIPAA compliant platform that is similar to Zoom and similar offerings. It is encrypted and works on its own secure network.

At the time of our session, you would simply click on a link that opens up your web-browser (for laptop and desktops). Many of my Chicago anxiety clients find this to be a convenient, time saving way of meeting. 

How Can I Find Our More About Your Chicago Anxiety Counseling Services?

All you need to do is send me a confidential email using this form or give me a call at 773.704.5300. If I am able to help you, I will. Because I have a fairly busy schedule, it may be that I am full at the time you contact me.

Should this be the case, know that I am happy to provide several quality referrals.  

In the meantime, here’s a brief “stress screener” from Mental Health America that you can take online. Some people print this off or jot down the results just before visiting with their counselor. Think of this as a tool for personal insight. 

You don’t have to be stressed out or constantly anxious. There are very concrete things you can do to create greater harmony in your life.