May 14, 2025
Many people come to therapy feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and unsure of why they can’t “just calm down.” They might label what they’re experiencing as anxiety—but often, there’s more to the story.
Anxiety and trauma share many symptoms: racing thoughts, hypervigilance, difficulty sleeping, and feeling emotionally flooded. The difference lies in the root cause. Anxiety can develop from ongoing stress, personality traits, or genetics. Trauma-related symptoms, especially those tied to complex trauma, often stem from unresolved past experiences—particularly those from childhood.
For high-achieving, perfectionistic people, these symptoms can be deeply internalized. You might feel like you’re just “too sensitive,” “not trying hard enough,” or “failing” at managing your life. But what if your nervous system is stuck in survival mode—not because you’re broken, but because it learned to protect you?
In therapy, we can explore the deeper layers beneath the anxiety. Using trauma-informed approaches like EMDR, parts work, and mindfulness, we can help your nervous system gently release what it’s been holding onto for far too long.
You don’t have to figure this out alone—and you don’t have to keep carrying what was never yours to begin with. If you’re in North Carolina and looking for therapy that addresses the root cause, I’d love to support you.
