Anxiety Treatment

When should I seek treatment for anxiety?

Everyone experiences anxiety when they face a situation they dread, whether it’s the first day at a new job or an upcoming test in school.

As soon as you feel anxious, your brain automatically triggers a hormonal response that energizes your body. After the situation passes, your hormones and body systems reset to normal.

Anxiety starts causing mental and physical problems when you’re frequently anxious and always on high alert, anticipating the next anxiety-causing situation. 

It’s time to consider seeking help when your anxiety: 

• Causes frequent or uncontrollable worry and fear
• Compels you to change your daily routine to avoid anxiety
• Sticks around when you don’t face an immediate threat
• Prevents you from fulfilling daily responsibilities

When dread disrupts everyday life, it’s a sign you need help for an anxiety disorder.

What symptoms does anxiety cause?

There are several anxiety disorders, each with its own defining symptoms. For example, generalized anxiety disorder causes constant worry over daily issues (like your children or job), even when you don’t have a current or pending problem.

By comparison, phobias cause an intense fear of one specific object or activity, such as a fear of spiders or flying.

All the different types cause common symptoms, including:

• Nausea and stomach aches
• Irritability and nervousness
• Loss of appetite
• Difficulty sleeping
• Headaches, body aches, and chronic pain

In severe cases, anxiety can trigger a panic attack. Panic attacks are frightening because they mimic a heart attack, causing symptoms like chest pain, dizziness, difficulty breathing, and excessive sweating.

How is anxiety treated?

Your Pacific Phoenix Psychiatry & TMS therapist learns about your symptoms and concerns, then completes a psychiatric assessment. In addition to verifying your symptoms are caused by an anxiety disorder, they also rule out other mental health disorders associated with anxiety, like depression.