Anxiety

Anxiety is an often intensely felt nervousness, fear, or worry. It’s a normal reaction to stress or situations that have unknown outcomes. For example, you can feel anxious before a job interview or a big exam. Once the stress is gone, your anxiety goes away.

However, if you always feel nervous, fearful, or worried about everyday things and it interferes with your daily life, then you could have an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders are common and develop from a combination of things, including genetics, brain chemistry, life events, and personality.

It’s pretty common for people with an anxiety disorder to also struggle with depression. Or for people with depression to struggle with anxiety.

There are many types of anxiety disorders. Though they tend to cause similar symptoms, the causes and triggers usually differ.

If you have GAD, you constantly worry about everyday things like your health, finances, and relationships. Your fear and worry can be so severe that it interferes with your daily routine.

A GAD diagnosis reflects that you’ve had excessive anxiety almost every day for six or more months.

If you have frequent, unexpected panic attacks, you could have a panic disorder. Panic is the most extreme feeling of anxiety.

During a panic attack, you can experience paralyzing fear that causes a rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and/or sweating. Once these symptoms start, there’s nothing you can do to stop them — they usually last several minutes.

If you have a panic disorder, you constantly worry about your next panic attack. You purposely avoid places or situations that you fear might trigger an attack.

Phobias are excessive fear about objects or situations, like the fear of heights or crowds. Social anxiety disorder (excessive fear about social situations) and agoraphobia (fear of being in a crowd or outside the home) are phobias.

The psychiatry team at Sunset Neurological & Psychiatry Group takes a personalized approach to care. They customize your anxiety disorder treatment based on what kind of anxiety you have, its symptoms, and your needs.

Anxiety treatment can include psychotherapy, medication, or both.

Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, involves various therapeutic techniques that help you understand your anxiety disorder and develop ways to ease the symptoms.

The board-certified psychiatrists at Sunset Neurological & Psychiatry Group can prescribe anti-anxiety medication and antidepressants. These drugs help you manage your symptoms while you go through psychotherapy.

Don’t let your anxiety keep you from living your life. Call Sunset Neurological & Psychiatry Group today