What are anxiety disorders?

Stress is a normal part of life. It’s part of your fight-or-flight response that stimulates your ability to respond to a challenging situation. However, when anxiety and stress are overwhelming, and your fears interfere with your daily life, you may have an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders are prevalent and manifest in a variety of ways.

Generalized anxiety disorder is one of the most common anxiety disorders. It causes pervasive fears about everyday concerns such as work, family health, and even day-to-day chores like getting your oil changed or paying a bill. You may feel on-edge or easily fatigued or suffer from muscle tension and insomnia.

Panic disorder is another common anxiety disorder. It is characterized by panic attacks — episodes of extreme psychological and physical distress. You might experience fear of being out of control, or a fear of death or impending doom.   Physical symptoms during panic attacks can be such as:

• Pounding or racing heart
• Problem breathing
• Sweating
• Dizziness
• Chest pain
• Trembling
• Tingly or numb hands
• Nausea or abdominal pain

Social anxiety disorder is also another common type of anxiety disorder. If you have a social anxiety disorder, social interactions and situations trigger your fears and nervousness. In many cases, your feelings stem from fears of humiliation or being judged negatively. You may try to avoid social situations, which can interfere with your ability to function at work or school.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are among other psychiatric conditions that present with prominent anxiety and insomnia.

When should I talk to a doctor about anxiety?

If your anxiety and fears interfere with your ability to function normally, you should seek professional counseling. Make an appointment with Dr. Estakhri for an assessment. While everyone feels nervous occasionally, if you’re always on edge or dealing with fears that lead to avoidance behaviors and impact your life at home or work, you may need help to manage your fears.

How is anxiety treated?  

While every patient has unique needs, Dr. Estakhri usually combines medicine, psychotherapy, and lifestyle modifications to treat anxiety. Anti-anxiety medications can relieve your symptoms so you can focus on exploring the issues at the root of your anxiety during therapy sessions. During therapy, you also learn techniques to cope with stress and manage your behavioral responses to your negative thoughts and fears.

If you’re concerned about anxiety, call Allied Psychiatry & Mental Health or make an appointment online today.

949-945-0927