Anxiety Treatment
What is Anxiety?
Worry is a part of life for all of us. The difference with an anxiety disorder is that these feelings of anxiety persist and may become worse over time. We all worry sometimes about things that are important to us. Money, job and relationships are common causes for this type of anxiety.
But, most people can process or at least compartmentalize these worries so they don’t become overwhelming and interfere with everyday life. When the things they are worried about work out in one way or another or they accept something they cannot change, the anxiety fades away.
What’s it Like to Have an Anxiety Disorder?
Someone with an anxiety disorder usually finds that their anxiety symptoms interfere with everyday life. They might have chronic anxiety that never seems to go away and doesn’t seem to have a direct cause. Other anxiety sufferers experience unwanted recurring thoughts or social phobias which make functioning in the world difficult. Some develop an anxiety disorder after experiencing one or more traumatic events. This is called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD.
More About Anxiety and Treatment
Anxiety treatment is almost always the best option if you want to manage an anxiety disorder. There are therapeutic interventions and treatment methods which are proven effective for most conditions. If you or someone you love is living with this type of mental health challenge, or you just want to learn more about them, we have prepared a brief summary of each of the 5 major types of disorders below:
The Five Major Types of Anxiety Disorders are:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Panic Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Social Phobia
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD is characterized by persistent worry or a feeling of dread. It’s not the same about worrying about ordinary life events. People with GAD often experience anxiety for months or years at a time even when there’s no apparent reason. It can make a person feel edgy and irritable. Physical symptoms may include fatigue and stomach aches or muscle aches.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder more commonly called OCD manifests as uncontrollable, recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or behaviors (compulsions). An example of an obsession might be a need to count all the tiles on the floor before you leave the room every time. A common compulsion seen in OCD patients is compulsive hand washing. This would be far beyond the practical amount. A person with this compulsion might have cracked or irritated skin or wash their hands with painfully hot water for example.
Panic Disorder
Experiencing an isolated panic attack here and there doesn’t necessarily mean someone has a panic disorder. A person with a panic disorder regularly experiences unexpected panic attacks. They may live in fear of the next attack. A panic disorder often interferes with everyday life, even making it difficult to leave the house or socialize. Physical symptoms of a panic disorder include racing heartbeat, chest pain, sweating and a sense of impending doom or loss of control.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder more often called PTSD is a disorder that develops as a result of one or more traumatic experiences. Traumatic experience may involve physical danger, but an emotionally intense event, like the death of a child can also result in PTSD. Symptoms of PTSD usually begin within 3 months of the initiating trauma. In order to qualify as PTSD an adult must experience the core symptoms a month or longer.
Qualifying PTSD Conditions include:
One or more avoidance symptoms
One or more re-experiencing symptom
Two or more two cognition and mood symptoms
Two or more arousal and reactivity symptoms
Social Phobias
People with social phobia (also called social anxiety disorder) experience anxiety surrounding social situations and gatherings or situations where they may need to speak or perform in front of others. Again, almost everyone feels some nervousness in some social situations. It doesn’t become an anxiety disorder however unless it is persistent and disruptive in your everyday life. People with an acute social phobia may stay at home for weeks or even months at a time or more because going outside into the world is too distressing. They may lose jobs or fail out of school because they can’t bear to be around other people, for another example.
Treatment for Anxiety Disorders
At NP Addiction Clinic, we offer a range of evidence-based treatment methods which can help with an anxiety disorder. From Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to pharmacotherapy (medication) to wellness approaches including holistic therapies and nutrition. The most effective treatment plans usually include several of these elements.Together, they can have a multiplier effect which provides the patient with more relief and resolution than they might have had otherwise.
Help for Anxiety is Here
The Neuro Psychiatric Addiction Clinic is committed to delivering the best mental health and addiction treatment available. We can help you or the one you love too, but you need to make the first move. Call us now at (888) 574-3506 or send us a message using this form.
