What is Anxiety?
Anxiety can be an expected response to certain situations. For example, starting a new job or taking a test will likely provoke some amount of anxiety in most people. But when this situational response becomes a constant obstacle, anxiety can be overwhelming. In fact, for many people, anxiety is a source of stress and tension that impacts them on a daily basis. They feel trapped and overwhelmed and struggle to complete their daily obligations. When individuals are suffering from symptoms of anxiety that are present on a regular basis, they may benefit from further evaluation by a psychiatrist.
Multifactorial Approach to Anxiety Treatment
We employ a multifactorial approach to anxiety disorders with the use of medication management and psychotherapy tools. Our goal at Agave Psychiatry is to guide the patient to a better understanding of why they are experiencing anxiety and to develop the skills necessary for long-term progress and our clinicians are specially trained to accomplish this goal.
In order to help you understand what anxiety is and how it can present, here are some common types of anxiety that we treat.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANXIETY:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Commonly referred to as GAD, generalized anxiety is characterized by excessive, frequent feelings of worry or tension without a known cause. Some people describe themselves as “always worrying” or they may have others tell them that they “need to relax and stop being a worry wart”. These may be signs that issues with generalized anxiety are present. Other common symptoms include:
- Having difficulty controlling worried or fearful thoughts. Anxiety and worry may dominate your thoughts during the daytime and evening hours.
- Difficulty concentrating on simple tasks or assignments. This may require you to read and re-read written content due to being distracted.
- Feeling irritable for no specific reason. Symptoms of irritability may be noticed by others and can impede social, family and workplace functioning.
- Feeling restless, wound up, or on edge even if you are not in a stressful situation. This may be described as someone who is “stressed out” but it could be due to generalized anxiety.
- Anxiety can lead to physical pain: stomachaches, headaches, muscle aches, or other unexplainable pains. Repeated worrying can significantly impact physical health. Improvements in anxiety are likely to lead to better overall wellness.
- Becoming tired or feeling fatigued without knowing why. Worrying excessively will wear you out! People who are struggling with anxiety will frequently experience low energy that may become a chronic issue.
- Unable to sleep well: this may include difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Many people who are anxious describe “not being able to turn my mind off” when they are trying to sleep. Excessive worry can directly impede your ability to have restorative sleep. Most adults require at least 7-8 hours of sleep in order to perform at their best. For teenagers, the requirements are even higher: typically at least 9-10 hours per night is recommended.
Social Anxiety Disorder
It is not unusual to feel increased anxiety when you are in new social settings. For many people, the anxiety quickly subsides as they gain a level of comfort with their surroundings and the people they encounter. However, individuals who suffer from social anxiety disorder will typically not find any significant degree of relief as time progresses. They will experience overwhelming or even debilitating worry and insecurity about common social situations. Feeling self-conscious or afraid of judgment from others is a hallmark symptom of social anxiety. When placed in social settings people will often experience:
- Excessive sweating
- Blushing
- Uncontrollable trembling or shaking
- Increased heart rate
- Increased breathing or hyperventilating
- Stomach ache or “butterflies”
- Tense physical posture
- Speaking at a very soft, low volume
- Difficulty making eye contact
- Difficulty conversing with people you don’t know
- Feelings of self-consciousness or worry about the possible judgment of other people if you speak with them
Panic Disorder
Panic Disorder is an anxiety-related condition that is characterized by the presence of panic attacks. In fact, this is a severe form of anxiety that can be very debilitating as people may experience panic attacks multiple times per week or month. The symptoms may last for a few minutes or much longer for some people. Typically, the symptoms of Panic Disorder are displayed as sudden, intense fear resulting in a panic attack, which symptoms can include chest pain, breaking out in a sweat, or feeling like you’re choking. This sudden terror can come on even without a clear or logical stressor or trigger. Other notable symptoms of panic attacks:
- Excessively sweating
- Uncontrollable trembling or shaking
- Tingling feelings, specifically in hands and feet
- Chest pain, specifically feeling your chest tighten to the point of having difficulty breathing. People experiencing panic attacks may be worried that they are having a heart attack and are evaluated in an Emergency Room.
- Pounding heart “beating out of your chest” and shortness of breath
- Feeling that you have lost control
- Feeling severely terrified or overwhelmed
- Certain places, people, or behaviors can trigger panic attacks. The worry about when you will have your next panic attack can severely limit your normal functioning.
Other Common Anxiety Conditions
Selective mutism:
A subset of social anxiety, this is characterized by a fear of speaking in public, often felt by young kids who speak normally with their families but are hesitant to speak in school or other social situations.
Specific phobias:
Characterized by an intense fear of a specific object or situation, often excessive enough to prevent you from engaging in common activities.
Agoraphobia:
Intense fear of being in a situation without the ability to leave, or get help, if necessary. Feelings of being trapped could occur on an airplane, in a crowd, in a classroom, or on any form of public transportation, etc.
Separation anxiety disorder:
This is characterized by overwhelming anxiety or fear when a loved one leaves your sight, often accompanied by fear for the loved one’s safety. This is relatively common among children but is not restricted to them. People of any age can struggle with separation anxiety.
Medication-induced anxiety disorder:
The use of certain medications or illegal drugs can cause symptoms of an anxiety disorder, or withdrawal from certain drugs may trigger symptoms of an anxiety disorder.
Begin Online Anxiety Treatment in Arizona
Overwhelming anxiety can impact every aspect of your life, making it impossible to function normally. However, there is hope. If you are struggling with these symptoms of anxiety our team of skilled clinicians is here to help you understand and manage them effectively. At Agave Psychiatry we are committed to providing the best quality care to our clients so they can move forward with their lives in a positive and meaningful way. Follow the steps below to get started on your journey to healing.
- Get to know our skilled team of Clinicians here.
- Fill out our convenient online mental health contact form here.
- Begin your journey to healing!
Other Online Mental Health Services offered at Agave Psychiatry
In addition to anxiety treatment, we also offer a wide variety of other mental health services. These include treatment for Depression, ADHD, Insomnia, PTSD, Eating Disorders, and Nutritional Psychiatry. In fact, we offer online treatment for both adults and children and adolescents in the state of Arizona.
