Celeste reached out to WYS when she realized that her anxiety about doing something embarrassing in public the fear of rejection from friends, turned debilitating over a six month period and these feelings were keeping her from living an active, happy life.
At 19 years old, Celeste’s world should have been full of new experiences and opportunities, instead, she was struggling with severe panic attacks triggered by attending school, eating out, talking to new people, and meeting up with friends. As the fear and anxiety escalated, she started to get physically ill from the stress and ultimately fear led to her missing school, avoiding social activities, and living in isolation which only made things worse.
Celeste’s WYS therapist recommended Cognitive Behavior Therapy, whereby the patient is guided by the therapist into a situation where they will face their fears and anxieties without going into the avoidance tactics they might normally employ. Week by week, they practiced different social situations, in a safe environment, so Celeste could gain insight into the situations that triggered her feelings, learn the tools needed to identify and offset the fear and anxiety before it takes hold, and now she is able to successfully address and overcome her fears.
Today, Celeste is a full-time college student, is able to give a presentation in class, has gradually started to roll in socializing and comfortably eating out with friends, and she even started dating! We are so proud of the positive changes that Celeste has achieved and cannot wait to see what she does next!
