According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately one-third of adults and adolescents in the United States will experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime. Of these individuals, only 36.9% receive treatment for their condition. Maybe they don’t know if anxiety can be treated, how it’s treated, if it’s curable or how to live with it. In fact, anxiety disorders are very treatable, and receiving anxiety treatment at FHE Health in Florida can help you to return to a fully functioning life.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are a group of mental health conditions with one thing in common: excessive, persistent fear or distress that interferes with daily life. The main types of anxiety disorders are:
- Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Multiple ongoing, overwhelming worries about everyday activities or life events that feel too difficult to control
- Panic disorder. Sudden attacks of intense physical and psychological symptoms, often accompanied by fears of dying, losing control or experiencing more attacks
- Agoraphobia. Extreme fear and avoidance of places or situations where it might be difficult to escape or get help if something goes wrong
- Social anxiety disorder. Debilitating self-consciousness in social settings driven by fears of being embarrassed, judged or rejected by others is social anxiety
- Specific phobias. Powerful, irrational fears of generally harmless objects or situations, resulting in avoidance and significant emotional or physical distress
Anxiety disorders share common symptoms with other related conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Treatments for Anxiety
Anxiety disorder is the most common mental health condition in the United States and worldwide. Without treatment, anxiety disorders increase a person’s risk of developing depression and substance use disorders and raise the likelihood of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. At FHE Health, we offer a variety of individualized therapies and treatments for anxiety.
“From the staff, to the facility, to the alumni services, FHE Health helped me recognize my disease and provided life-long tools to live a healthy, productive life.” – Candace R.
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Counseling
While you can’t talk yourself out of an anxiety disorder, you may benefit from psychiatric counseling to learn how to manage daily symptoms. Coping mechanisms can help you minimize symptom occurrence, intensity and frequency.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy used in anxiety disorder treatment. With the help of an FHE therapist, you can develop skills to improve anxiety symptoms, avoid triggers and manage anxiety-provoking situations.
Exposure Therapy
This therapy involves confronting your fears through repeated exposure attempts. Our compassionate therapists help you safely and gradually face fears in a controlled environment. As you become more comfortable, you can better cope with previously distressing situations.
Medical Integration
At FHE Health, we perform a full medical workup when diagnosing and developing a treatment plan for anxiety. This integrated medical care ensures symptoms aren’t caused by other undiagnosed conditions. The workup includes a psychological evaluation, physical exam and blood or lab tests. This helps us better understand what needs to be treated and what is anxiety or perhaps something physical.
Medication Options for Anxiety Treatment
When anxiety makes everyday living and functioning difficult, your FHE care team may prescribe medication to help ease symptoms such as muscle tension, irritability, restlessness and insomnia.
Medication is often prescribed along with counseling so you can focus on being an active participant in getting to the underlying cause of your anxiety. When we do prescribe medication, it begins with a starter dose and is gradually increased as needed. Using medication for anxiety in low doses or short-term helps prevent overuse, dependence and potential addiction.
Types of Medication for Anxiety Treatment
For managing symptoms, there are three common anxiety medications:
- Antidepressants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Zoloft and Paxil are antidepressants also used to treat anxiety. SSRIs may need to be taken for a few weeks before symptoms begin to subside.
- Antianxiety medications. An antianxiety medication such as Buspirone is sometimes prescribed to treat specific anxiety disorders, including GAD. While there are a few side effects (nausea, headaches and dizziness), these mostly occur at the start of taking the medication. It generally takes a couple of weeks for the medication to be effective.
- Benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines such as Valium and Xanax are often prescribed to treat GAD. However, due to their high dependence and abuse potential, benzodiazepines are usually only prescribed for short-term use.
