Everyone encounters moments of anxiety. Your nerves are in overdrive before a big presentation. You’re doubtful that the cutie you have your eye on will say “yes” to a date. Or the logistics of coordinating a cross-country move are scrambling your brain. This type of anxiety is part of life.
Anxiety is a natural stress response and, for many people, it resolves as circumstances settle. The presentation concludes. A date is scheduled. Or the move is complete. But, for some people, intense, excessive, and persistent anxiety leads to worry and fear about everyday encounters.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition in America. Anxiety knows no age limit and affects children, teens, and adults alike. But the good news is anxiety treatment exists.
What is Anxiety Disorder?
If you are riddled with constant fear, dread, or worry that interferes with your ability to function in everyday life, you may have an anxiety disorder. It’s a mental health condition that causes you to experience profound emotions. And it goes beyond the typical nervousness people occasionally experience.
If you react excessively when your emotions are triggered, lose control of your responses, or lack the motivation for social engagement, you may have an anxiety disorder. And you may benefit from treatment.
Common Anxiety Symptoms
Anxiety can be debilitating and distressing. It also looks different in different people. Some people may become hyperactive and launch into overdrive, while others shut down. There are many signs of anxiety.
Anxiety symptoms include:
- Difficulty sleeping
- Experiencing panic, fear, or uneasiness
- Fatigue
- Feeling restless, wound up, or on edge
- Having flashbacks or thoughts of traumatic experiences
- Experiencing heart palpitations or increased heart rate
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Nightmares
- Rapid breathing
- Restlessness
- Ritualistic behaviors (repeatedly performing the same action)
- Shortness of breath
- Trouble concentrating
- Uncontrollable or increased worry
When to Seek Anxiety Treatment
You may be experiencing anxiety if you have multiple anxiety symptoms and can’t identify the reason. Anxiety manifests differently for each person, but it is treatable.
Seek anxiety treatment if you have:
- Physical Symptoms. If stomach aches, digestive issues, trouble breathing, rapid heartbeat, sweatiness, or headaches appear when you think about interacting with others, leaving home, or completing everyday tasks, you likely have anxiety.
- Cognitive Symptoms. Insomnia, memory loss and lack of focus can be due to anxiety. The feeling of “Sunday scaries” shouldn’t creep into each day of the week. And it’s not right to live with perpetual brain fog. Working with a mental health professional can get you anxiety treatment that helps you function better.
- Procrastination and Avoidance. If you engage in autopilot in hopes of avoiding situations that cause anxiety, you may not be living your fullest life. If you regularly procrastinate on important work or avoid tasks, treatment may be helpful.
- Busy Mind. If you constantly worry and overthink things, to the point that your mind can’t rest because it is always occupied processing fearful thoughts, anxiety treatment can be helpful.
- Quick to Anger. If you’re unleashing irritability or rage, that can be anxiety.
- Panic Attacks. If you experience chest tightness, accelerating heartbeat, sweatiness, shaking, shortness of breath, and nausea simultaneously and wonder if you’re having a heart attack, it’s time to speak with caring professionals about anxiety treatment options.
You can manage anxiety. And if it is keeping you from sleeping, working, socializing, or fulfilling day-to-day duties, anxiety treatment can help. If it’s consuming more than half your week continuously, seek treatment. You are allowed to ask for help if you feel it would be beneficial.
Types of Anxiety Treatment
Self-care practices like managing your diet, exercise, and stress levels can help lower your anxiety. You can practice meditation, implementing relaxation techniques, or focus on mindfulness to re-center and alleviate anxiety.
While self-care practices are successful for some people, others find the most success when they combine them with additional treatment guided by trained professionals. Integrative Life Center uses a combination of strategies and evidence-based therapies to help you find peace.
Anxiety treatments include:
- Breathwork Therapy. Learn breathing techniques that can halt many anxiety symptoms and, over time, lessen episodes and severity.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Identifying self-sabotaging routines, beliefs, and thoughts and swapping them with healthier ones.
- Medication. Sometimes, prescribed medication can be beneficial. When used to supplement other treatment strategies, medicine use sometimes diminishes anxiety symptoms.
- Trauma-Informed Therapy. Discover the root trauma that contributes to your anxiety disorder and begin to heal it.
How Integrative Life Center Can Help
Treatment looks different for each person. But the dedicated professionals at Integrative Life Center will walk alongside you with a heart-centered approach. Patients in our programs develop skills for managing stress and anxiety, regaining control of their lives.
To learn more about options to treat anxiety, contact Integrative Life Center today.
