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Nerves before a big event are normal. When worry keeps disturbing sleep, work or relationships, a thoughtful conversation is a sensible next step.

Ordinary nerves or something heavier?

Feeling tense before a presentation or a difficult conversation is part of being human. It becomes a different matter when worry keeps returning, broken sleep becomes the norm, or you start declining invitations to avoid feeling uneasy. Body and mind are closely linked, so a racing heart, tight chest or upset stomach can accompany anxious thoughts. Even so, physical symptoms deserve their own attention rather than being assumed to be stress.

Starting with real examples

Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist, also holds qualifications in psychotherapy and offers psychological support at the Lane Cove clinic. You do not need to arrive with a label for what you are experiencing. Concrete examples are often more helpful:

• an activity you have started avoiding;
• a worry that keeps circling back;
• changes in sleep, appetite or concentration;
• strategies you have already tried, and how they went.

Together you can explore what has become harder and what kind of psychological care may suit you. Part of that discussion is whether a GP review or other medical assessment would be wise, particularly if physical symptoms are new or changing.

Shaping the work around your priorities

Therapy tends to go well as a genuine collaboration. You might talk about what you would like to understand better, which patterns feel hardest to shift, and how you would notice that things are moving in a helpful direction. Ask Christine how progress will be reviewed, and what options exist if your needs change between sessions.

Lifestyle factors such as rest, movement, workload and connection with others often come into the conversation too, because anxiety rarely exists in isolation from the rest of life.

A first step that does not need to be perfect

If worry has been shrinking your world, reaching out is a reasonable and courageous choice. Bring whatever notes you have, even a few words on your phone, and let the first session be a place to start sorting things through together.