Anxiety Treatment

Anxiety treatment can help people overcome anxiety symptoms that are persistent and will worsen over time without proper care. Although everyone experiences anxiety at times, severe and persistent anxiety can greatly interfere with daily life. If you have overwhelming anxiety, do not hesitate to seek treatment.

Anxiety treatment is available at Florida Psychiatric Associates in Altamonte Springs and the surrounding area. Our team will work with you to overcome extreme feelings of fear and apprehension. Call us today at 407-960-5633 to learn more about our services or schedule an appointment.

Understanding Anxiety

Anxiety is a natural stress response. People with anxiety may feel nervous, fearful, worried, and experience physical changes such as sweating, increased blood pressure, and rapid heartbeat. While feeling anxious sometimes is not an issue, feeling excessive and persistent fear or anxiety may indicate that a person has an anxiety disorder.

An anxiety disorder is a condition that causes anxiety that does not go away and worsens over time. This type of anxiety is intense and can be debilitating. There are different types of anxiety disorders, including:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): Generalized anxiety disorder causes people to have persistent and excessive worries about everyday events out of proportion of the actual impact.
• Panic disorders: People with panic disorders experience panic attacks which cause people to experience sudden and repeated periods of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms like difficulty breathing, fast heartbeat, and chest pain.
• Phobias: Phobias are when people have an excessive or irrational fear of an activity, object, person, animal, or situation that is not dangerous or harmful.

When to Seek Anxiety Treatment

Although it is normal to feel anxiety, feeling it at disproportionate levels may be a medical disorder that requires treatment. People who experience anxiety that hinders their ability to function normally should seek treatment. Not addressing an anxiety disorder can prevent people from leading more productive and happy lives.

People with anxiety disorders may avoid situations that can trigger or worsen their symptoms, impacting their school or work performance and personal relationships. Severe and persistent anxiety can prevent people from doing the things they love and prevent them from completing normal activities such as leaving their homes. Fortunately, anxiety treatment is available to help prevent symptoms from worsening and help people improve their quality of life.

What to Expect During Anxiety Treatment

People with moderate to severe cases of anxiety can receive treatment to help manage and overcome their symptoms. Therapy sessions can help people learn strategies and receive the tools they need to cope with their anxiety. The initial treatment session involves the patient getting to know their psychiatrist to determine whether the partnership is a good fit.

Patients should expect to discuss the reasons behind seeking anxiety treatment, their symptoms, and their background and history. This will allow the psychiatrist to take a personalized approach to treatment, meeting each patient’s unique needs and preferences. The number and frequency of treatment sessions will vary for each person. Our team will consider symptom severity and the patient’s personal preferences when determining the optimal treatment plan.

The Treatment Process

People receiving anxiety treatment typically have treatment sessions about once or twice a week for about three to four months. However, treatment can continue for longer depending on the disorder severity and type of treatment. The duration of treatment and frequency will ultimately vary for each patient. Anxiety treatment may also include psychotropic medication management. Medications such as sedatives or antidepressants like selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine-reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) can balance brain chemistry and prevent anxiety episodes or severe symptoms.

Anxiety treatment requires time and commitment for patients to gain the tools and strategies need to cope with anxiety healthily. Common anxiety treatments include cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT), which focuses on teaching patients specific skills to reduce symptoms and build confidence to manage situations they previously avoided. We will equip patients with healthy coping mechanisms that they can use in their daily lives outside of treatment sessions. We can also help patients identify stresses in their lives and look for productive ways to reduce them.

Benefits of Seeking Anxiety Treatment

Fortunately, anxiety disorders are very treatable. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, about 40 million American adults have an anxiety disorder. However, only about 36.9% of those with this disorder receive treatment.

People who are struggling with anxiety treatment should not hesitate to seek treatment. Our team will help guide you and provide you with the tools you need to overcome worries and negative feelings so you can regain control of your life. Seeking anxiety treatment can improve quality of life, relationships with others, and performance at school or work.

Call Us Today

Anxiety can prevent you from living the life you want. Our team can provide you with personalized anxiety treatment. Call us today at 407-960-5633 to learn more about our services or schedule an appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the risk factors for anxiety?

Certain risk factors can increase a person’s risk for developing anxiety. Factors include trauma, stress due to an illness, certain personality traits, other mental health disorders, and a family history of anxiety. Using drugs and alcohol can also contribute to a person’s anxiety.

Is there a relationship between anxiety and stress?

While anxiety and stress are related, they are not the same. Anxiety can be a stress reaction but can also occur if a person does not have obvious stressors. Both can cause people to experience adverse physical and mental symptoms.

Are they any complications associated with anxiety disorders?

Yes. Without treatment, anxiety can worsen or lead to various mental and physical complications. Possible complications may include depression, substance abuse, social isolation, insomnia, or more.

Is it possible to prevent an anxiety disorder?

It is not possible to predict what will cause a person to develop an anxiety disorder. However, patients can take certain actions to reduce the impact of their symptoms. One of the most important things people with anxiety should do is to seek prompt, professional help. People can also stay active and avoid misusing alcohol or drugs.

How does a psychiatrist diagnose anxiety?

Our team provides comprehensive psychiatric evaluations. This may involve discussing a patient’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to determine an accurate diagnosis. We can also check for related complications since anxiety often occurs along with other mental health issues.

Request an appointment here: Call Florida Psychiatric Associates at (407) 960-5633 for an appointment in our Altamonte Springs office.

Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Anxiety Treatment in Altamonte Springs, FL.