It is normal to feel anxious in situations like transferring to a new school, changing jobs, and preparing to face a panel interview. However, an anxiety disorder may present itself as a constant feeling of apprehension over everyday situations. It can interfere with your usual activities and make you want to avoid people, places, or situations that trigger these feelings. Sometimes people with anxiety experience panic attacks. The good news is your therapist at Charlotte Ketamine Center may help manage and cope with the anxiety symptoms.
Types of anxiety disorders
- Agoraphobia. It is an anxiety disorder where you distance yourself from specific places or situations that prompt fear.
- Panic disorder is characterized by sudden feelings of heightened anxiety which rises within minutes. If it happens once, you may keep worrying about it happening again or avoid situations or places where it occurred.
- Social phobia or social anxiety disorder causes high anxiety levels in places with people and avoids such areas. Most people with social phobia are either self-conscious or fear being negatively judged by others.
- Separation anxiety is the fear of being away from a specific place like home or away from your loved ones. It is common among children who were separated from their parents or guardians.
- Selective mutism. It affects children and makes them speak only in certain places like home. Such children may not talk at school, and this may affect their learning.
Diagnosis and treatment for anxiety
A diagnosis helps your doctor rule out any underlying medical problem that may cause your anxiety. It involves psychological evaluation where you may need to share your feelings and thoughts with your care provider. If you have a panic attack, you may experience shortness of breath, increased heartbeat, and chest pains. Diagnosis of anxiety is usually challenging as this problem often occurs along with other mental disorders like depression. Talking to an anxiety counselling professional can usually help too, as they know the common causes of it and have ways to help you deal with daily anxieties.
Treatment may involve medication, therapy, or a combination of both. Medications do not address the anxiety but help you manage its symptoms, such as hyperventilation and difficulty sleeping. Drugs like antidepressants and those used for heart conditions can be used for anxiety. A discussion with your doctor about the benefits, risks and side effects of medications can help you determine whether they are worthwhile.
Psychotherapy
Sessions with your therapy may help deal with anxiety and reduce the symptoms. For example, talk therapy or psychological counseling enables you to change your thought patterns, reaction to situations, and your behavior when anxious. With time, you can now withstand the places, people, or activities you once dreaded or that are triggers for your worry. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has proved to be effective in helping patients build their confidence. It involves exposing yourself to situations or things that make you anxious until you learn how to cope and manage the symptoms.
Rarely do people with anxiety disorders seek help, and they hardly recognize it as an illness that needs treatment. If you want to learn more about anxiety, consult with your therapist today.
