Category: Wellbeing

Mattress skin. Cottage cheese thighs. Orange peel tush. There are dozens of words we’ve come up with to avoid talking directly about the cellulite that starts cropping up on our bodies when we least expect it.
The reality is cellulite is simply a part of life—a normal part of life at that. As many as 80 to 90 percent of girls and women who are past the puberty stage have at least some cellulite somewhere on their bodies.
Unfortunately, being one of the girls doesn’t necessarily make us love our lumps. We live in a society where tabloids splash paparazzi shots of celebrity women across their covers with giant headlines labeling the stars “imperfect” and using arrows to point to a few dimples on their thighs. The implication (however false it may be) is clear: Cellulite is proof your body’s falling apart.
We’ve certainly internalized those headlines. In one survey performed on behalf of a company that develops laser treatments, women with cellulite rated their own appearance on average lower than the appearance of women without cellulite. Almost all (97 percent) of the participants with cellulite said they’d change their appearance if they could.
But while there’s almost no avoiding the lumpy fat that crops up on tummies, butts, and thighs of famous models and not-so-famous moms driving minivans around the neighborhood, cellulite treatments are out there if you want them. The problem for most women is sorting through the overhyped claims of fast fixes and overpriced offers to find cellulite treatments that can help us reclaim some of that smooth, pre-puberty skin.
That’s where we come in. We talked to the experts about the most popular cellulite treatments out there and found out what works, what doesn’t, and what you can do if you’re not feeling comfortable in the skin you’re in.

Cellulite: A Female Curse?

Before we even consider treating cellulite, did you ever wonder what the heck was going on down under your skin to make all those bumps and valleys? Let’s take trip back to high school science, shall we?
The skin has three layers: The epidermis is the outermost layer of skin. The dermis is the layer right beneath the epidermis. Below that is the subcutaneous layer, which is made up of fat and connective tissue.
“Throughout the fat layer, there are connective tissue septae, or bands, that run down from the skin and divide the fat layer into compartments,” explains Sejal Shah, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and RealSelf contributor from New York City. “Cellulite occurs when this underlying fat begins to push up against the overlying connective tissue and skin, while those septae pull down the skin, resulting in that characteristic dimpled appearance.”
Essentially, the fat that’s in our bodies sections off into little pockets deep underneath the skin, resulting in the dimples we know as cellulite. It typically begins sometime in a woman’s twenties or thirties—although it can happen earlier (some teenagers have cellulite) or later—and it’s most prevalent on the thighs, butt, and lower abdomen, although it can also appear on the arms.
While these fatty pockets can crop up on men’s bodies, it’s much rarer than it is in women. Just about 10 percent of cisgender men have cellulite, compared to more than 80 percent of cisgender women. There are a number of reasons for the gender divide, but the main thing? It’s yet another thing we can blame on our hormones, Shah says, specifically estrogen, the primary female sex hormone.
“Estrogen plays role in the development of cellulite,” Shah explains. “Women tend to have more body fat, and women’s fat is typically distributed in the thighs, hips, and buttocks, which are common areas for cellulite.”
Also at play in cellulite’s appearance is the way muscle develops in men versus women.
“In men, the connective tissue bands that connect skin and muscle are thicker, more in number, and form a crisscross pattern (unlike the vertical pattern in women), making it less likely for the fat to push through,” Shah notes.
Of course, not all women develop cellulite, and just why that happens and who it will happen to is still somewhat up in the air. Even scientists have yet to suss out exactly why some women wake up one day to cellulite while others never experience it at all.
“Because we don’t know exactly why people get cellulite, it’s not always possible to prevent it, especially since factors like genes and hormones play a role,” Shah says. But there are certain risk factors that tend to up your chances of taking a peek at your butt in the mirror and spotting some cellulite, including:

• Genetics (both being female and having a parent who had cellulite)
• A diet high in fat, carbohydrates, and salt, but low in fiber
• Lifestyle factors such as smoking, being sedentary, and lack of exercise (which results in low muscle tone)
• Poor circulation
• Hormonal imbalances or increased sensitivity to hormones
• Use of hormonal contraceptives
• Aging (as we age, the skin and connective tissues naturally weaken and lose elasticity, Shah says)
• Weight gain (but even thin people can have cellulite, Shah is quick to point out)

Of course, that all begs the question: What can you do about it?

Cellulite Treatments

If you have cellulite and it doesn’t bother you, you can stop reading right now. Okay, well hold up—not quite yet.
The truth is, cellulite is normal, Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Deepak Raj Dugar, MD, says. It’s not a disease. It’s not a reason to hit the emergency room. And while some of the potential causes (such as smoking or an unhealthy diet) can adversely impact your health, cellulite in and of itself is not going to hurt you and is not considered harmful to your health by the medical community.
If you want to let it be, there’s no reason to pay it any more attention. But what if you fall in the “I want it gone” camp?
There’s good news and bad news ahead. When asked if there are any means for cellulite treatment that are legitimate and backed by science, most doctors don’t pull any punches.
“Short answer is no,” Dugar says. “There have been no studies to ever show that a device, medication, or system was able to effectively reduce cellulite across the board.”
In fact, some body-contouring plastic surgery methods, such as liposuction, have actually been shown to make the appearance of cellulite worse. Okay, case closed, right? You’re stuck with orange peel thighs and cottage cheese tushie.
Not exactly. While there’s no magic pill that will address every single person’s cellulite issues, there are some options out there.
Here’s the real deal on the most popular cellulite treatments currently available.

Retinoid or Retinol Creams

Can cellulite treatment really be as easy as rubbing a cream on every day for a few weeks? Well, no, says Shah. “It won’t directly treat the cellulite, but [it] may improve skin texture and tightness, therefore reducing the appearance of cellulite.” Be wary of just any cream that you find in the drugstore or online that claims to get rid of cellulite, though. It’s only those with the active ingredients retinoid or retinol that offer that skin-tightening benefits.

Compression Stockings

Like creams, these seem like a fast and easy fix for cellulite woes, but they’re more cosmetic than a long-term solution, Shah says. Wearing support hose can reduce excess fluid, making the cellulite less apparent on your thighs, butt, and tummy. But once you’ve spent some time without that support, the dimpling effect will just return. The same goes for dry brushing and the “wraps” popular on Instagram. The compression effect can help in the short term, but it’s not a long-term cellulite treatment.

Cellfina

The first device to ever get FDA clearance for long-term treatment of cellulite literally cuts the connective tissue bands that pull down the skin and create the dimpled appearance of cellulite, Shah says. Performed by a doctor in an outpatient setting, Cellfina treatments use a small, needle-sized device that cuts those cellulite-causing bands just beneath the skin. The device is “minimally invasive,” according to the company, and side effects are typically limited to tenderness and bruising. The results are expected to last for up to a year, Shah says, although the company boasts patients can be cellulite free for as long as three years.

Cellulaze

Another treatment that can only be done by a doctor, Cellulaze is a cellulite treatment that’s performed in an office setting in an hour or two, allowing patients to go home immediately after treatment. “This [is] a laser treatment in which the laser is inserted just underneath the skin to cut the connective tissue bands that are causing the dimpled appearance,” Shah explains. Again, side effects tend to include tenderness and bruising, and the company notes there may be some leaking from the incision. Patients may have to wear compression garments for a short period of time after the procedure and avoid strenuous activity for as much as two weeks after treatment. The company behind the procedure promises results will improve over time and should last up to a year.

Other Laser Techniques

Cellulaze is a brand name (and one of the most popular treatments), but there are other radiofrequency lasers out there that are used to address the appearance of cellulite. Dugar says these devices use suction pulsing technology to help “separate the fibrous septa from the skin to reduce the herniation fat,” but warns that the efficacy of these is still low, and results are not permanent.

Fillers

Just as some people get fillers injected into their face to address fine lines and wrinkles, it’s possible to use injections to address cellulite. “These injectable treatments can be used to mask the appearance of cellulite by filling in the dimples,” Shah explains.

Brazilian Butt Lift

One of the most invasive cellulite treatments is less of a treatment and more of a way to mask the dimples by creating a barrier between the skin and the subcutaneous tissues below, Dugar says. A Brazilian butt lift involves liposuction, pulling fat from your flanks, abdomen, arms, and legs, and re-injecting that fat into your buttocks and thighs.
“When done properly, you can effectively create a barrier between the skin and the fibrous connective issues below, thereby reducing the appearance of the cellulite,” Dugar says. But, he warns, “this may only be temporary as studies have never shown that this is an effective treatment for cellulite. I have noticed that it can temporarily decrease the appearance of it.”

Diet and Exercise

No, it won’t eliminate all your cellulite, but it can have an impact, Shah says, at least on how your cellulite appears. “Being overweight may worsen cellulite because the more subcutaneous fat you have, the more likely it is to put stress on the connective tissue and bulge,” she explains.
Of course, cellulite can also happen in thin individuals, and exercise does not necessarily get rid of cellulite completely, but it can make it appear differently beneath the skin.
“As the connective tissue underneath the skin weakens or loses elasticity, it allows the fat to bulge,” Shah explains. “Strengthening the muscles in those areas will in turn tighten the skin (and burn excess fat overall), making the skin appear smoother and cellulite less noticeable.”
Any exercise is good exercise, but if you’re looking at your workout as a cellulite treatment, you’ll want to mix up your fitness routine.
“Combining aerobic activity with strength training is key to improving the appearance cellulite, and aerobic/cardio exercise alone is unlikely make much of a difference,” Shah says.
At the end of the day, cellulite may not be something that we can beat or even need to be that concerned about. But if you’re focusing on a healthy lifestyle, from diet to exercise to water intake to avoiding smoking, you may be able to help stave of developing more and help the cellulite that’s already there be just a little bit less apparent. If nothing else, a healthier lifestyle will equal a healthier you.

You know that you don’t want kids (or more kids) right now, or maybe ever. But you don’t want to have to worry about changing your lifestyle choices in order to avoid pregnancy. Instead you want the best birth control: something that is reliable at preventing pregnancy, doesn’t have nasty side effects, and fits in with your daily schedule.
Luckily, in 2018, you can have all those things.
For decades, birth control meant one option: the pill. Now, however, there are myriad choices. Women looking for the best birth control can chose low-hormone or even non-hormonal options. There are birth control options that you take daily, only use when needed, or get once and don’t have to think about again for years. You can even decide whether you want to have a monthly cycle or would prefer to skip your periods altogether.
All that choice is a wonderful thing because it allows you to find the best birth control for your body and lifestyle. Unfortunately, it can also be a bit overwhelming. Choosing the best birth control can mean doing a lot of research—and some soul searching—to decide what you really want.
HealthyWay spoke to women’s health experts about the advantages and disadvantages of the most common [linkbuilder id=”736″ text=”forms of birth control”], as well as what women should consider when trying to find the best birth control option for them. Here’s what they had to say:

What is the best birth control?

Finding the best birth control is individual to each woman, says GG Collins, MD, a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and a fertility specialist in Progyny’s provider network.
“There are benefits to each form of contraception, and matching the option that works best with your lifestyle and minimizes your side effects is the right choice,” she says.
Considering the effectiveness of the birth control, how long it is designed to last, and any side effects are all important when you’re trying to find the best birth control for you.
Here’s a breakdown of these factors for popular birth control options, arranged from most effective to least effective at preventing pregnancy.
As you consider what’s the best birth control for you, remember that most of these forms of birth control do not protect against sexually transmitted infections or diseases.

Copper IUD (ParaGard)

Effectiveness: Intrauterine devices (better known as IUDs) are the most effective form of birth control, preventing more than 99 percent of unwanted pregnancies. The copper IUD prevents pregnancy as soon as it is placed. It is also an extremely effective form of emergency contraception: If it is placed within five days of unprotected sex it will prevent pregnancy more than 99.9 percent of the time.
How It Works: All IUDs are t-shaped devices that sit in the uterus and disrupt how the sperm would normally get to an egg. With the sperm unable to reach the egg, pregnancy is unlikely to occur. The copper on ParaGard also provides an additional level of protection by creating an environment that is toxic to sperm and eggs.
This may be the best birth control for you if:

• You want effective, long-lasting birth control. The copper IUD can prevent more than 99 percent of pregnancies for up to 12 years.
• You do not want hormonal birth control. The copper IUD has no hormones, making it a popular choice for women who don’t want to disrupt their natural hormonal balance. “Many women choose the copper IUD because it does not have a hormonal component,” Collins says.
• You’re breastfeeding. The copper IUD can be used by breastfeeding moms.
• You need emergency contraception after having unprotected sex.
• You might want to become pregnant in a few years. Fertility returns quickly after any type of IUD is removed.

This may not be the best birth control for you if:

• Some women shy away from the copper IUD because it must be inserted by a physician. This can be uncomfortable, particularly for women who have not had children, Collins says.
• Some women also experience ongoing cramping or irregular bleeding, and more intense periods, Collins says. “The main reason for discontinuation tends to be due to heavier and more painful periods that occasionally occur with the copper IUD,” she explains.

Hormonal IUD

Effectiveness: Like ParaGard, hormonal IUDs (sold under the brand names Mirena, Kyleena, Liletta, and Skyla) prevent more than 99 percent of unwanted pregnancies. However, they can take up to seven days to start working fully, so be sure to use a back-up form of birth control in the meantime.
How It Works: Hormonal IUDs thicken cervical mucus and disrupt sperm’s journey through the uterus, making it less likely that sperm will reach an egg. In addition, these IUDs release the hormone progestin, which prevents the ovaries from releasing an egg. Depending on the brand, hormonal IUDs can prevent pregnancy for up to six years.
This may be the best birth control for you if:

• You want long-acting, effective birth control that you only need to think about once. “Once an IUD is in place, women don’t have to think about it,” says Jessica Grossman, MD, CEO of Medicines360. “It’s ‘set it and forget it’ contraception, a key benefit for women ages 20 to 40.”
• You have heavy periods. Unlike copper IUDs, hormonal IUDs make periods lighter or can stop them all together. You’ll also likely experience fewer cramps.
• You might want to become pregnant in a few years. Fertility returns quickly after any type of IUD is removed.

This may not be the best birth control for you if:

• Having a period gives you peace of mind: “Some women like to have a monthly period for social or personal reasons, and many women with the hormonal IUD do not have regular periods,” Collins says. You might also experience irregular spotting.

Tubal Ligation

Effectiveness: Tubal ligation, also known as female sterilization or having your tubes tied, is 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy.
How It Works: During a surgical procedure, a doctor blocks or cuts the fallopian tubes, the pathway that an egg takes to get from the ovaries to the uterus. With the tubes blocked, sperm cannot reach the egg, so pregnancy can’t occur.
This may be the best birth control for you if:

• You are sure you don’t want to become pregnant in the future. This is a permanent procedure.

This may not be the best birth control for you if:

• You’re unsure about having kids, or you would like the option to have more kids in the future.
• You don’t like the idea of surgery. Unlike many long-lasting birth control options that can be placed in an office, tubal ligation is a surgical procedure that requires some anesthesia (it can be done with general or local anesthesia).

Birth Control Implant

Effectiveness: The birth control implant is more than 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. It is effective immediately if you get it within the first five days of your cycle. If not, use backup birth control (like condoms) for a week.
How It Works: The birth control implant is a rod the size of a matchstick that is implanted under the skin of your upper arm. It releases the hormone progestin, which stops an egg from being released, and also thickens the mucus around the cervix, making it harder for sperm to get into the uterus. The implant lasts for up to four years.
This may be the best birth control for you if:

• You want to avoid estrogen. While most hormonal birth controls contain estrogen, the implant provides highly effective birth control without it, making it a popular choice for women who want fewer hormones, Collins says.
• You want lighter periods or none at all. One third of women who use the implant stop getting a period within a year.

This may not be the best birth control for you if:

• You’re squeamish. Inserting and removing the implant is normally an easy procedure, but it does involve cutting the skin open. Sometimes the implant can migrate a few centimeters, making removal more difficult, Collins says.
• Most women don’t have many side effects with the implant, but some experience weight gain, cysts, or breast soreness.

The Birth Control Shot

Effectiveness: The birth control shot is 94 percent effective at preventing pregnancy with real-world use (which accounts for women who fudge a little on their shot schedules), but if you always get your shot on time, it is 99 percent effective.
How It Works: The shot contains progestin, which stops ovulation and thickens cervical mucus. You need to get the shot every three months.
This may be the best birth control for you if:

• You want long-term effectiveness without an implant or IUD.
• You don’t mind visiting the doctor. Although you need to go to the doctor every three months, getting the shot itself is quick, easy, and relatively non-invasive.

This may not be the best birth control for you if:

• You forget appointments. You must make an appointment every three months to get your shot in order to reliably prevent pregnancy.
• You want to get pregnant soon. Although you need the shot every three months to maintain peak effectiveness, there can be some delay in getting pregnant for up to 10 months after stopping this form of birth control.

The Birth Control Ring

Effectiveness: The ring is 91 percent effective. Because it must be inserted and removed, effectiveness depends upon your ability to put it in and take it out on time, as well as storing the ring properly (out of sunlight and sometimes in the refrigerator). Some antibiotics and other medications can also make the ring less effective.
How It Works: The small, flexible ring is inserted into the vagina for three weeks at a time, and then removed for a week. It releases the hormones estrogen and progestin, which thicken cervical mucus and stop an egg from being released each month.
This may be the best birth control for you if:
You don’t want to think about birth control daily. “Many women like this form of contraception if they would like a longer-acting form of contraception but do not want a long acting device placed like the IUD or implant,” Collins says.
You have other health concerns. The ring can help control acne, PMS, and cysts. It can also help you avoid bone thinning and iron deficiency.
This may not be the best birth control for you if:

• You’re not okay inserting it. “The ring placement requires you to be comfortable putting the ring in and removing it from the vagina,” Collins says.
• You’re forgetful. The effectiveness of the ring depends on you remembering to put it in and take it out on time.
• You’re on other medications. Since some medications can decrease the effectiveness of the ring, talk to your doctor about how your medications might interact with it.

Birth Control Pill
Effectiveness: The original form of hormonal birth control is 91 percent effective with typical use. For optimal effectiveness the pill must be taken at the exact same time every day. Medications and antibiotics can also reduce the effectiveness of the pill.
How It Works: The birth control pill stops ovulation. There are many brand names, but two main types of birth control pills:

• Combination pills contain estrogen and progestin that stop ovulation and thicken cervical mucus.
• “Mini pills” contain only progestin. They thicken the cervical mucus and stop ovulation, but not as consistently as combination pills. Because of this, mini pills are only about 87 percent effective at preventing pregnancy.

This may be the best birth control for you if:

• You’re looking for a simple solution. “The birth control pill tends to be a very popular option for most women due to its ease of use,” Collins says. Because it doesn’t have to be inserted or removed by a doctor, some women feel this is an easier birth control solution.
• You’re addressing other health issues. “Some women start the pill for contraception, but also use it to establish regular periods, to reduce acne, and potentially to reduce ovarian cysts,” Collins says.
• You need to avoid estrogen. The mini pill is a good option for breastfeeding moms, women over 40, women with gastrointestinal issues, and people who have had negative side effects on birth controls containing estrogen in the past, Collins says.

This may not be the best birth control for you if:

• Your schedule is unpredictable. Taking the pill at the same time each day is essential for effectiveness.
• You have other health concerns. “Due to primarily the side effects of the estrogen found in birth control pills, there are both absolute contraindications (meaning you should never take these medications) and relative contraindications (meaning speak to your physician before taking and decide if the benefits outweigh the risks),” Collins says. For example, women who have blood clots, impaired liver function, breast cancer, undiagnosed vaginal bleeding, or who are smokers over the age of 35 should never take a combination pill.

The Birth Control Patch

Effectiveness: The patch is 91 percent effective with real-world use. Some antibiotics and medication reduce its effectiveness. It can also fall off occasionally. In addition, the user must remember when to apply and remove the patch for it to be most effective.
How It Works: The patch contains estrogen and progestin that are released into the skin. A new patch is applied once a week for three weeks, then taken off for one week.
This may be the best birth control for you if:

• You want something you can apply yourself but don’t want to take a daily pill.

This may not be the best birth control for you if:

• You’re sensitive to estrogen. “The estrogen levels in women using the transdermal patch are higher than with most birth control pills,” Collins explains. In fact, the FDA now requires the patch to have a warning, since it exposes women to 60 percent more estrogen than the pill does.
• You weigh over 198 pounds, in which case the patch may not prevent pregnancy.

Fertility Awareness

Effectiveness: Fertility awareness methods—also known as natural family planning and the rhythm method—are between 76 and 88 percent effective.
How It Works: There are a variety of fertility awareness methods, but all share a common idea: You monitor your monthly cycles (using a chart or app) in order to know when you are most fertile. During that time you either avoid intercourse or use a backup birth control method like condoms, a diaphragm, or a sponge.
This may be the best birth control for you if:

• You want to avoid hormones or implants. Fertility awareness relies on your intimate understanding of your body, without any additional prevention methods.
• It wouldn’t be a huge issue if you got pregnant. Since fertility awareness methods are less reliable, they’re best for people who wouldn’t be upset if they became pregnant.
• You have a solid understanding of how your cycles work. “If you wish to pursue the natural family planning method, it would be worthwhile to consult with a reproductive endocrinologist to grasp a strong foundation in the menstrual cycle,” Collins says.

This may not be the best birth control for you if:

• You absolutely do not want to be pregnant. No matter how well you track your cycles, there is always room for error with this method, Collins says. “Natural family planning is the least effective form of contraception as [menstrual cycles often] vary and the peak fertility time periods may shift each month,” she explains.
• You have irregular cycles. That makes it even harder to regularly track your fertile window.

Condoms and Withdrawal

Effectiveness: Effectiveness ranges from 78 percent (for withdrawal, also known as pulling out) to 79 percent (for female condoms) to 85 percent (for male condoms).
How It Works: These are options that you are likely to use in the heat of the moment. Male condoms prevent pregnancy (and STIs) by preventing sperm from entering the vagina. Using the withdrawal method, a man does not ejaculate in the vagina, reducing the risk that sperm will meet with an egg and result in pregnancy.
Male condoms and withdrawal alone aren’t the best birth control since they are often ignored in the heat of the moment. “Condoms and the withdrawal method are the least effective forms of contraception as they are often forgotten at the time of intercourse,” Collins says.
Condoms are effective at preventing many STIs, and should be used even by people who are on other forms of birth control. “All patients, regardless of what contraception they are using, should consider the use of a condom from the beginning to protect against sexually transmitted infections,” Collins says.

How to Find the Best Birth Control for You

In addition to considering the information above, it’s a smart idea to book an appointment with your doctor to discuss what the best birth control for you is given your health history, lifestyle, and future reproductive plans.
“Each woman should have a discussion with either their gynecologist or their reproductive endocrinologist about their concerns and desires to match the best form of contraception with what would work best for her lifestyle,” Collins says.
When you’re talking to your doctor, consider these questions:
Do you plan to have children in the future? When?
This question can help you identify how long you would like your birth control to last.
Do you have other health concerns?
Sometimes a birth control method isn’t a good choice for women with certain health conditions. If you’re a smoker, have physical or mental health conditions, or have painful periods, these factors need to be part of your discussion with your doctor about the best birth control given your needs. You want one that is safe to use with your condition or can even help alleviate it, Collins says. In addition, it’s important to talk about any other medications that you’re currently taking, since some medications can affect the reliability of birth control.
If you’re particularly concerned about uterine cancer (perhaps due to a family history), the patch, pill, ring, and shot can offer some protection. The patch, pill, and ring can also help protect you from ovarian cancer.
Have you experienced positive or negative side effects from birth control in the past?
Think about your experiences with past birth control options. Have you gained weight on the pill, for example, or had your acne clear up? Perhaps you enjoyed not getting a regular period when you had an IUD. Think about what has worked well for you in the past (and what hasn’t), and discuss both good and bad side effects with your doctor.
What does your sex life look like?
Considering your sex life is a huge part of finding the best birth control for you. For example, if you have multiple partners, no matter what birth control method you use, you’ll also want to use a birth control method that prevents STIs, like male condoms, Collins says. If you rarely have sex, you might be more comfortable relying on as-needed methods, whereas if you are frequently sexually active, you might want a birth control form that you don’t need to think about in the moment.
If you try something new but suspect it might not be the best birth control for you, try to give it six months before changing, Collins recommends. Of course, if your symptoms are severe (like chest pain or shortness of breath) stop the birth control immediately and call your doctor.
Finding the best birth control for you can be an intensive process, but Grossman says it is important: “Knowing which method best suits your lifestyle is important to your overall health and well-being, and ultimately, for avoiding unintended pregnancy.”
[related article_ids=21584,1000990]

If you’re getting headaches nearly every day, you might think it’s fairly normal. Whether they go away after you pop a few ibuprofen or they turn into monstrous migraines, getting headaches on the regular can be debilitating, even when the pain isn’t severe. In some cases, they can be a sign of serious medical conditions.
While we can safely say that headaches are a common issue, it’s difficult to estimate the scale of the problem. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that 22.7 percent of adults reported having severe headaches within the last three months, while the 2011 National Health Interview Survey put the number at 16.6 percent. At least you know you aren’t alone.

What to Know When You’re Getting Headaches Every Day

Let’s get this out of the way: Getting severe headaches every day isn’t normal, so you should talk to your doctor, especially if they come on suddenly. Some headaches can indicate neurological disorders that require treatment, and sudden, severe headaches are always a cause for concern.

So, what’s a “severe headache” exactly? Most headaches fall into one of three general categories:

Tension Headaches

The most common type of headache, tension-type headaches can be described as a pressing or tightening pain. You might experience sensitivity to light or sound but nausea is less common.

Migraine Headaches

The classic description of a migraine is “the worst headache you’ve ever had.” If you’re not sure whether or not you’re having migraines, you probably aren’t having them. Frequently misdiagnosed, migraines are usually characterized by severe pain that seems to start on one side of the head. Like tension headaches, light and sound sensitivity is common with migraines, but so is nausea. In addition to that, many people experience visual disturbances like shimmering lights or zigzagging lines, sometimes known as auras.

Cluster Headaches

Think that cluster headaches are the same thing as migraines? Think again. Cluster headaches tend to occur along one side of the head or in a cyclic pattern behind the eyes or temples (hence the “cluster” name). They can occur for several weeks, and they’re often severe. However, cluster headaches are uncommon, particularly for women.

If you suffer from cluster headaches, you’ll want to see your doctor. While effective treatments are available, they include high-flow oxygen and subcutaneous injections, both of which need to be administered by a medical professional.

Since cluster headaches and migraines stem from neurological issues, they should be medically evaluated. They’re the “severe” headaches we referenced earlier.

Why You Seem to Get Headaches Every Day

A variety of triggers can cause or contribute to everyday headaches, but if you can’t figure out what those triggers are, you won’t have much luck fixing the issue
Some of the most common triggers include stress, dehydration, poor posture (yes, really), allergens, caffeine withdrawal, and nutritional deficiencies.

Using Meditation to Control Everyday Headaches

People who suffer from migraines and tension headaches every day (or close to it!) are far more likely to use alternative medicine than those who don’t. Meditation seems most successful, but there’s also not much else that has substantial scientific support.
“Meditation can be very effective,” Mauskop says. “We’ve noticed significant improvements in patients who take on meditation as a part of their treatment.” If you’re getting headaches every day, consider starting meditation.

The Link Between Caffeine and Everyday Headaches

Does caffeine cause those constant headaches or does it cure them? The answer: both.
“Caffeine is a double-edged sword,” Mauskop says. “Over-the-counter medicines often include caffeine. However, headaches can worsen as a result of withdrawal mechanisms, as every regular coffee drinker probably knows. But it can help in small amounts.”
Caffeine causes the blood vessels to constrict, reducing blood flow, which is exactly the opposite of what happens when you’re having a headache or migraine. The pain-relieving effect is significantly improved when combined with acetaminophen and aspirin, which, thankfully, are over-the-counter painkillers.

Changing Your Diet When You Get Headaches Every Day

Certain nutritional deficiencies seem linked to the development of severe, constant headaches, especially migraines.

“We often provide supplements to patients, for instance, magnesium supplements,” Mauskop says. “That can be dramatically effective.”

Magnesium supplements can effectively reduce the frequency of migraines. Magnesium may also play a role in the development of tension headaches, but there’s much less scientific support for that hypothesis.
Some migraine patients also show lower levels of folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12, and supplementing with these vitamins can reduce migraines. Before supplementing, consider whether you could naturally increase your intake of these vitamins by changing your diet. Good sources of folic acid, for example, include vegetables like avocado, lettuce, and spinach.

A Unique Approach to Fixing Everyday Headaches

If you’re having trouble figuring out why you get headaches every day, try tracking information about your diet, water intake, and stress levels.

When Your Everyday Headaches Mean You Need a Doctor

If you’re unable to treat your constant headache issues on your own, see your doctor. Alternative treatments are tempting, but in severe circumstances, medical intervention is absolutely essential.
“Treatment options include abortive drugs that you take as needed, just as you would with an over-the-counter drug,” Mauskop says. “There are things like Imitrex and similar drugs in that category.”

What about migraines? A 2014 study published in The Journal of Headache and Pain found that Botox—yes, that Botox—“reduced the number of headache and migraine days, and increased the number of headache free days” while significantly improving patients’ quality of life.

Stress: If you don’t have it, you’ve apparently found the pot of gold at the end of the unicorns’ rainbow. If you do—like most Americans—the phrase “cortisol levels” might have come up during one of your visits to your doctor’s office.
Cortisol is best known as “the stress hormone,” a chemical messenger the body produces when we’re feeling like we’re at the end of our rapidly fraying rope. It’s produced and secreted by a part of the body known by doctors as the HPA axis—a combination of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal gland that sends varying amounts of cortisol out to other parts of the body.
Linking cortisol to stress gives it a negative connotation, but in truth this hormone is not all bad, says David Cutler, MD, a family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. In fact, Culter says cortisol is “essential in controlling our growth, organ development, immune functions, inflammatory response, and many other cellular activities.”
And while our cortisol levels do tend to spike when we’re stressed, cortisol production is part of the body’s functioning even when we’re having nice, normal, calm days (hey, they do exist!). Unfortunately, when your cortisol levels get out of whack, so can your body. Cortisol levels that are too high or too low can cause everything from extreme fatigue to blood pressure issues.
So how do you know if your cortisol levels are too high, too low, or just right? And is there really anything you can do about all that stress?
Sit down, chill out, and let’s do this.

What is cortisol, anyway?

Despite its colloquial name as the body’s stress hormone, cortisol is more aptly described by doctors as a steroid hormone, Cutler says—a complex molecule that has a variety of metabolic functions throughout the body.
“Its structure of carbon-containing rings is typical of steroid molecules,” Cutler explains, “And its functions can be mimicked by the synthetic cortisol hydrocortisone or other steroids.”
Yes, hydrocortisone, the tube of cream you grab at the drugstore when you’ve got an itchy rash, is related to cortisol. In the case of an allergic rash, smearing on a few dabs of hydrocortisone can tell the body to chill out and stop reacting to the allergen so you can get a little relief from all that itching. In the body, on the other hand, naturally produced cortisol helps to keep our systems in check, whether it’s maintaining the right levels of blood glucose or maintaining a healthy blood pressure. Basically, cortisol gives the body a little relief…from itching, and a whole lot more.
Much of what doctors know now about stress and the role cortisol levels play in the body’s response goes back to the 1930s and 1940s, when Hungarian endocrinologist Hans Selye explained the role the HPA axis plays in our fight-or-flight response to a problem. Selye found that corticoid hormones like cortisol were “indispensable for the maintenance of life and especially for the acquisition of adaptation to changes in the external or internal environment of the body.”

Cortisol Levels and Your Body

For the body to keep adapting to changes in its external and internal environment, cortisol levels have to change, Cutler says, and that’s usually normal. For example, cortisol may kick in as a response to any sort of stressor on the body,
Of course, this doesn’t just refer to “stress” as we’ve come to know it. Stress isn’t just your boss yelling at you or your child darting into traffic.
Stress can be getting extra busy in between the sheets, sending a message to your heart that it needs to increase the amount of blood it’s pumping to your heart, STAT! Stress can also come from that snacking on a pile of what you thought were gluten-free pretzels, only to find out you just “got glutened,” and knowing your celiac allergies are going to kick in, triggering an immune response.
“The transient rise or lowering of cortisol level is normal and in fact happens on a daily basis as cortisol levels peak upon awakening and bottom out shortly after bedtime,” Cutler explains. “They can also be affected by physical illness, fever, sleep deprivation, inflammation, pregnancy and emotional factors. In addition to internal factors, external factors such as diet, alcohol, caffeine, prescription medication, and nutritional supplements can also affect cortisol levels.”
You’ll notice some of these issues, including emotional factors, lack of sleep, and alcohol and caffeine usage can all be linked to what we traditionally think of as stress, while other factors are stressing the body in a more medical sense.
Semantics aside, when your body encounters stressors, cortisol comes out to play, helping the body keep its systems in check, and keeping your body healthy even in the face of an attack on the immune system. When everything seems okay, cortisol levels are then supposed to drop, increasing again only when they’re needed.
Unfortunately, cortisol levels don’t always work the way they should, says Carol Lourie, a naturopath and functional medicine expert who specializes in women’s health.
“Chronic stress is a contributing factor in elevated cortisol,” Lourie says. Other medical conditions that can increase cortisol levels are pregnancy, Cushing’s syndrome, Addison’s disease, pituitary or adrenal tumors, high blood pressure, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Prolonged use of certain medical steroids such as prednisone or cortisone can also affect a person’s cortisol levels.

Addison’s Disease

If you have Addison’s disease, for example, your body may not produce enough cortisol and aldosterone (another steroid hormone), says Joseph Geskey, DO, an internal medicine specialist and vice president of medical affairs at OhioHealth Doctors Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. That lack of cortisol can result in a variety of gastrointestinal issues including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, muscle weakness, and weight loss.
When managed well, Addison’s sufferers can live a fairly normal life—in fact the most famous Addison’s patient might be President John F. Kennedy, whose disease was kept relatively secret until after his assassination, when an autopsy revealed his adrenal glands were almost nonexistent.

Cushing’s Syndrome

Patients who have Cushing’s syndrome are also affected by cortisol levels that are different from their peers’, but in their case, the cortisol levels are too high instead of too low.
“Cushing’s disease is caused by a tumor in the pituitary gland (located in the brain) that produces a chemical called ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) that stimulates the adrenal gland to produce too much cortisol,” Geskey explains.
Cushing’s sufferers typically have round faces, extra fat on the back of the neck, stretch marks on the abdomen, easy bruising, and extra hair growth on face, neck, chest, and abdomen. If the tumor grows large in the pituitary gland, it can also cause vision loss, Geskey warns. Other complications of too much cortisol can be cataracts, [linkbuilder id=”336″ text=”diabetes”], hypertension, depression, and osteoporosis.

Signs Your Cortisol Levels Are Out of Whack

Despite the rather long list of conditions that might affect the body’s cortisol levels, there is some good news: Cortisol abnormalities are unusual according to Cutler. On the other hand, that also means doctors rarely test cortisol levels as part of an average physical or doctor’s visit.
“Because there is a very wide range of ‘normal’ levels of cortisol, as well as a certain degree of variability in these results, cortisol levels are generally not checked as part of a routine exam, but rather only if there is a high degree of suspicion of there being a cortisol abnormality,” Cutler explains.
So what sort of symptoms might prompt legitimate suspicion in you or your doctor? Lourie says it’s good to mention your concerns to your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Feeling you are overreacting to certain situations, have a very short fuse, or are easily angered
• Feeling anxious frequently for no apparent reason
• Feeling tired all the time no matter how much sleep you get
• Inability to relax and calm down, even during a restful moment
• Inability to sleep or waking up feeling unrefreshed
• Unexplained weight gain (without changing diet or exercise routine)
• Inability to lose weight (despite exercise and dedicated diet change)
• Unexplained acne
• High blood pressure
• Hormonal problems such as irregular menses or extreme cramping during menses

Many symptoms that would seem to indicate cortisol level abnormalities can be explained by other issues and will go away with treatment of said issues, but there are blood tests that can be done for cortisol levels to get to the bottom of the issue if other treatments don’t address the problem.
“Levels may seem abnormal when, in fact, there is no disease. And subtle symptoms may be found to be the result of cortisol abnormalities after more common causes have been excluded,” Cutler notes.

Managing Cortisol Levels

If a cortisol level abnormality is suspected, a primary care doctor will typically refer a patient to an endocrinologist, says Muneer Imam, MD, lead physician at the CIIT Medical Center, Long Island. The endocrinologist will call for blood tests, typically performed early in the morning and later again in the day to address the fact that cortisol levels fluctuate through the day.
Imam says a normal cortisol level is 6.2 to 19.4 micrograms per deciliter. “Anything below or above is out of normal range.”
If the numbers aren’t in range, the next step is determining why levels are too high or too low.
In cases of Addison’s disease, medicine is typically required. Doctors will turn to a class of pharmaceuticals known as glucocorticoids to replace the cortisol and mineralocorticoids to replace aldosterone, Geskey says. If an Addison’s patient gets sick, they can suffer an adrenal crisis, in which case doctors may administer cortisol via an injection.
For Cushing’s syndrome patients, on the other hand, treatment can involve surgery, medication, and radiation therapy. Surgical removal of the tumor that causes the condition offers the only long-term cure, Geskey says.
Diet changes may also be recommended by your healthcare provider, as food can have an effect on cortisol levels for some people.
Addison’s patients are often directed to increase their calcium and vitamin D levels, as well as salt intake, Geskey says, while Cushing’s patients may be told to eat a diet with foods rich in calcium and protein, which can possibly prevent muscle and bone loss associated with having too much cortisol.
Even those who are otherwise healthy and whose levels are not severely off track may benefit from dietary changes. For example, Lourie says, “Fast food choices and chronic stress add up to elevated cortisol levels.”
She starts patients off with an anti-inflammatory diet, eliminating sugars, processed foods, alcohol, and coffee. “The focus is on lots of fresh vegetables, healthy fats, gluten-free whole grains, small amounts of organic chicken, meat, and fish, as well as fruits.”
If upending your entire diet isn’t in the cards, it’s still a good idea to simply increase the amount of healthy foods in your diet, Lourie says, as that can put your entire body on a track to better health.
For other people with cortisol level issues that aren’t directly related to a medical condition that needs to be treated, diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes are all on the table. Stress in life, after all, is part of what can make your cortisol skyrocket, and with it the side effects of cortisol levels that are too high.
Stress reduction techniques such as meditation, yoga, and acupuncture have all been found to help reduce cortisol levels.
“Although they are different, one of the common denominators is they all lower the body’s sympathetic nervous system, the fight or flight response, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system,” Lourie explains. “This is the part of the body’s nervous system which is calming and encourages relaxation and joy.”
Even focusing on something calming such as an art class to take your mind off your day-to-day could have benefits. In one small study performed by researchers at Philadelphia’s Drexel University, cortisol levels were tested on a group of 39 healthy adults before and after a 45-minute art class. The results? Three quarters of the group saw a drop in cortisol after letting their creative juices flow.
Of course, any treatment approach should be discussed with your medical practitioner, but if lifestyle changes can reduce your stress, you may just kill two birds with one stone.
[related article_ids=20491]

Many of us get nervous when it comes to public speaking. We might feel slightly frazzled or shy in social situations. We might even avoid large gatherings or unfamiliar social spaces.
But what does it mean if you have a constant fear of social situations? What if you worry about events for days or weeks before they take place? What if your avoidance of social situations affects your career, schooling, or relationships? What if your anxiety is affecting you on a physical level, causing you to become sweaty or nauseated around others?
If you have experienced these symptoms, you’re not alone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, recent statistics suggest about 12.1 percent of U.S. adults experience social anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. There are a few risk factors that increase your chances of having social anxiety disorder, including being divorced or widowed and experiencing stressful life events. Women and girls are more likely to experience social anxiety disorder.
“Having negative social experiences and growing up in stressful environments are two environmental factors that can contribute to the development of social anxiety disorder,” says Amy Serin, PhD, a neuropsychologist and founder of The Serin Center. “As with most diagnoses, there is a dynamic interplay between genetics and environment that can determine the eventual development of a disorder.”
Fortunately, Serin notes, social anxiety disorder can be effectively treated. Here’s what you need to know.

What exactly is social anxiety disorder?

Social anxiety disorder isn’t simply about being shy or introverted, although a socially anxious person may appear that way to others. Social anxiety disorder typically leads people to avoid social situations entirely, or to have great difficulty in those situations. In some cases, the anxiety stems from being afraid of how people perceive them.
“Introverts simply recharge their energy during solitude but can have no anxiety when dealing with others. There is a preference for being alone versus being with others,” Serin says. “Shyness may be a less severe form of social anxiety and occurs when a person may clam up or prefer to avoid social interaction in general.”
Social anxiety disorder, on the other hand, includes severe stress responses to social situations. “Social anxiety disorder typically presents as marked fear in social situations, above and beyond what one would typically expect given the situation,” says Jana Scrivani, PsyD, a licensed psychologist with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of social anxiety.
Before a psychologist diagnoses someone with the disorder, certain criteria must be met. Psychologists use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria to inform their diagnosis. “In order for a fear of social situations to be considered a disorder, it must interfere in someone’s life,” says Scrivani. In other words, the social anxiety must make it difficult for someone to function to be considered a disorder. “Additionally, the distress needs to persist for at least six months, and not be attributable to something else,” she says. For example, if someone avoids school because of a long-term illness or an unpleasant encounter with a particular teacher or classmate, that’s not attributable to social anxiety.
Anxiety disorders can also be accompanied by a number of physical symptoms including heart palpitations, excessive sweating, shaking, hot and cold flashes, shortness of breath, dizziness and lightheadedness, and trouble swallowing. These might seem like symptoms of the flu, but are often linked to anxiety. Anxiety results in these physical experiences by producing a flight-or-fight stress response in our bodies, which in turn affects our hormonal system and ultimately impacts our physical health.

Can social anxiety disorder be treated?

Social anxiety disorder is difficult to live with, but it can be treated successfully, says Scrivani. “I’ve worked with many people throughout the years who have made significant strides in overcoming social anxiety!” she says. “The first step would be to look for a provider who is experienced with social anxiety disorder.”
Seeing a therapist is often the first step in managing social anxiety. One of the most effective treatments for social anxiety disorder is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), says Lara Fielding, PsyD, EdM, an Los Angeles-based clinical psychologist and author. CBT is commonly used because numerous studies have shown that it’s an effective treatment for social anxiety disorder. CBT teaches people different ways of thinking, understanding, and reacting to situations.
Another effective form of therapy for social anxiety disorder is acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT. This involves linking the client’s values with the necessity to persist through the anxiety. Their values are used to motivate them to work through their anxiety.
Exposure therapy is usually used in combination with CBT to treat social anxiety disorder. Fielding explains that during CBT, a therapist might encourage their client to create a hierarchy of feared social situations. These situations range from mildly anxiety inducing to unbearably anxiety inducing. The therapist might then guide them to gradually expose themself to those situations, starting with the least worrisome situation. “The client must stay present to the anxiety until the peak has passed, without engaging in any reassurance-seeking or other safety behaviors, until the anxiety begins to extinguish on its own,” Fielding says. After repeated exposures, the anxiety begins to subside and the client starts to feel more in control.
Fielding also notes that mindfulness-based CBT is incredibly effective for the treatment of social anxiety disorder. With anxiety disorders, you experience primary reactions and secondary reactions. The secondary reactions involve you fearing your anxiety and wanting to avoid that discomfort. “In mindfulness the aim is to practice letting go of the reactivity in such a way that the primary pain is accepted, so the secondary reactivity does not take hold.” Fielding says.
You’ll take note of your heart pounding, your instinct to run away, and so on. You’ll accept this discomfort and learn that it doesn’t have to dictate your actions. “Mindful awareness of the relationship between the thinking, feelings, and action impulses begins to paradoxically reduce the secondary reactivity,” she says.
There are other forms of therapy for social anxiety, such as psychodynamic therapy. However, Fielding says these forms haven’t been studied thoroughly enough. “This type of therapy has little or no evidence for being effective with serious anxiety disorders,” she explains. “CBT and ACT have multiple randomized controlled trials—the gold standard of science—showing them to be effective.”
Serin reiterates that social anxiety disorder can be treated. “At Serin Center, we have treated hundreds of individuals with social anxiety disorder with a combination of neurofeedback, therapy, and bilateral alternating stimulation,” she says. Neurofeedback involves mapping brain activity and then using that to inform therapy, while TouchPoints are wearables that vibrate on alternating sides of the body, altering the body’s flight-or-fight response. This soothes the wearer when they’re feeling anxious.
Anxious about seeing a therapist? Do some research first to put your mind at ease. Ask for referrals from friends. Consider online therapy options like Talkspace or BetterHelp if the idea of a face-to-face conversation is too intimidating. Remind yourself that it’s an investment in your life: You are worth your own effort.

Other Ways to Manage Social Anxiety Disorder

While therapy should be your first port-of-call when it comes to addressing social anxiety disorder, it’s great to have other stress management techniques, too. These coping skills can help you in between sessions or while you’re still looking for a therapist, but they can’t replace a professional healthcare provider altogether.
Here are some techniques to consider.

• Practice deep-breathing exercises to help you manage your anxiety. This skill can help you soothe yourself in seconds, whether you’re at home, in the bathroom at the office, or in a quiet room at a party.
• While alcohol or drugs can seem like great social lubricants, relying on them should be avoided. “Resist the urge to use alcohol or other non-doctor-prescribed drugs to manage social anxiety,” Scrivani suggests. “Those coping mechanisms only serve to mask the anxiety, and instead of realizing that you can face a particular situation, you’ll attribute your ability to cope to the alcohol or drug.”
• While your intuition might tell you to avoid social situations, this avoidance makes it worse. “Avoid the avoidance trap!” Scrivani says. “The longer you avoid an anxiety-provoking situation, the more fear and anxiety that situation will elicit the next time you’re faced with it.”
• Remember that, in most social situations, people aren’t scrutinizing you. Gently remind yourself that people are usually self-conscious—they’re thinking about themselves, not you, Scrivani says.
• Consider joining support groups for social anxiety. These groups could be online or in-person. Yes, it seems ironic to suggest a meetup to people with social anxiety, but it can sometimes be comforting and healing to speak to those who have the same fear as you while dealing with that fear. Try meetup.com to find a local support group.
• If you’d like to talk to someone, consider calling an anxiety hotline. A trained responder can listen to your concerns and help you manage your anxiety. Here’s a helpful list of international hotlines, including some that are anxiety specific.
• In some cases, medication might be prescribed as a treatment for social anxiety disorder.

While having social anxiety might make you feel hopeless, it can be effectively managed. “It’s important to understand the diagnosis is not a life sentence of anxiety, avoidance, and narrowing down of potential to avoid social interaction,” Serin says. “It’s important to understand that there is hope for people with social anxiety disorder and there are many professionals who can help.”

How to Support a Child Who Has Social Anxiety

Social anxiety can manifest at a young age. Some statistics show that about 9.1 percent of U.S. teenagers ages 13 and 18 have social anxiety disorder.
It’s important that parents are aware of the signs so that they can support their children who might have the disorder. Young children can experience significant struggles to reach out for help, as they might not have the vocabulary to explain how they feel.
The most notable sign of social anxiety disorder is if your child tends to avoid social situations. Another is if they seem particularly uncomfortable or noticeably quiet in social situations. Fielding says that the child might even become angry when they have to engage socially, especially in environments outside their comfort zones.
“The most important and effective thing anyone can do to help a loved one struggling with social anxiety (or any mental health struggle) is start from a position of understanding and validating the difficulty the other person is having,” says Fielding. “Loved ones can often invalidate the person struggling by telling them to just relax or trying to reassure them too often.” In other words, you might want to remind your child that there’s nothing to be worried about—but if you do this too often, it might come off as dismissive and invalidating.
Another thing you shouldn’t do is contribute to your child’s avoidance of social situations, Fielding says. The more someone avoids an anxiety-inducing situation, the scarier the situation can become. While avoiding anxiety-inducing situations seems like a quick fix, it can wind up reinforcing the anxiety.
Instead, Fielding suggests responding compassionately to your child and helping them habituate to social situations—that is, helping them get used to interaction by gradually increasing their exposure. If you’re going to a family event, for example, don’t expect them to socialize for hours right away. Go for only an hour or two. Afterward, point out how they were able to handle it. Use this achievement to praise them rather than to invalidate their initial fears.
If their anxiety seems severe, consider taking them to see a counselor or a psychologist who works specifically with children and adolescents. The counselor can treat your child while giving you helpful pointers for supporting them.
The most important thing to remember about social anxiety disorder is that it’s treatable. It is totally possible to manage the symptoms of social anxiety disorder so that you can live a full life without anxiety interfering. And, while therapy can be a difficult experience, it’s worth it—after all, your mental health is worth the investment.