ANXIETY Q&A

What is anxiety? Anxiety is a mental health condition that causes persistent feelings of fear, uneasiness, or dread for no identifiable reason. You might also experience intrusive thoughts that affect how you feel, think, and act. There are different types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). That condition causes daily, persistent worry or fear about everyday issues like health, money, and loved ones for six months or longer. Other conditions under the anxiety umbrella include:

• Social anxiety
• Separation anxiety
• Panic disorder
• Phobias

New Dawn Psychiatric Care offers comprehensive care for all types of anxiety, including diagnostic evaluations and personalized treatment plans. When should I seek medical help for anxiety? While anxiety is a natural response to stress, too much of it is bad for your physical and mental health. You should schedule a diagnostic evaluation at New Dawn Psychiatric Care if you have persistent anxious feelings that you can’t manage on your own. You should also schedule an appointment if anxiety is causing physical symptoms that lower your quality of life, such as:

• Dizziness
• Excessive sweating
• Heart palpitations
• Shortness of breath

The providers offer diagnostic evaluations to assess your lifestyle and other factors that contribute to anxiety. They may request blood work or other diagnostic tests to rule out underlying medical conditions. Based on the results of your evaluation, your provider creates a treatment plan to get your anxiety symptoms under control. How is anxiety treated?

Your treatment plan for anxiety typically involves a combination of psychotherapy (talk therapy) and medication. Through psychotherapy sessions, you learn how to identify patterns of negative thinking and unhealthy behaviors. You also receive tools and resources that help you shift your mindset and adopt healthier lifestyle habits. For example, increasing your daily exercise keeps your mind clear and helps you burn off anxious energy. When therapy isn’t enough to relieve persistent anxiety, you may need medication.

There are several anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications available to calm your nervous system and relieve intrusive thoughts and other anxiety symptoms. Your provider continues to monitor your progress and can make adjustments when necessary to keep your anxiety symptoms well-controlled.  Call New Dawn Psychiatric Care to schedule a diagnostic evaluation for anxiety or book an appointment online today.