Feeling anxious before events like public speaking or awaiting medical test results is completely normal. With mild anxiety, you might feel nervous or restless or have trouble relaxing. For those with an anxiety disorder, these feelings are more intense and may lead them to consider medical attention. But can urgent care prescribe anxiety medication? While urgent care may not be necessary when your body goes into fight-or-flight mode, a visit could provide peace of mind and medications to get you through a few days.
When Anxiety Feels Like a Medical Emergency
Nearly everyone has experienced anxiety at some point in their lives. However, anxiety disorder is more than just an occasional episode of worry.It’s an intense physical, emotional and mental experience.
Approximately 19% of adults in the United States have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Unfortunately, the symptoms often feel the same as life-threatening conditions, such as a heart attack. Urgent care can seem like the most logical choice. It can help you rule out other, more serious illnesses and can even be the first step in managing your anxiety.
Symptoms of severe anxiety may include:
- Pounding heartbeat or palpitations
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Tingling in the hands and feet
- Shaking or trembling
- Upset stomach or nausea
- Feelings of doom
Can Urgent Care Prescribe Anxiety Medication? What They Can and Can’t Do
Urgent care is designed for minor injuries or illnesses when you can’t get an immediate doctor’s appointment, such as during off-hours or when your regular doctor is out of town. But can you go to urgent care for anxiety? The answer is yes, especially when you’re unsure if the symptoms you’re experiencing are due to panic or something else.
Urgent Care for Anxiety
The following are services that urgent care may be able to provide for anxiety:
- Rule out a medical emergency. Urgent care will perform an immediate physical exam and check your vitals and may run tests, such as an EKG, to see if your heart is working as it should.
- Provide short-term medications. Can urgent care prescribe anxiety medications? Some urgent care centers may be willing to prescribe a small amount of a low-dose prescription for antianxiety medications to help you get through a few days until you can see your regular doctor.
- Offer referrals. The clinic can provide you with a referral to a primary care physician or a mental health professional.
What Urgent Care Can’t Provide
Urgent care is unlikely to provide the following:
- Long-term anxiety medications. Urgent care isn’t designed for long-term or chronic disease management. They won’t provide a long-term treatment plan for anxiety or any other illness.
- Therapy or counseling. The medical professionals who work at urgent care offer generalized treatments. They’re not mental health professionals and aren’t trained or equipped to provide psychological counseling.
- Mental health diagnosis. Urgent care can diagnose a panic or anxiety attack, but it can’t provide you with a mental health diagnosis.
Situations Where ER vs. Urgent Care May Be More Appropriate
Urgent care is a good option if the symptoms you’re having are common for a panic attack, such as a racing heart and dizziness, or if you need reassurance that you’re not in the middle of a medical emergency. If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should skip a trip to urgent care and go straight to the emergency room:
- Severe chest pain, especially when it radiates in your arm, neck or jaw
- Trouble breathing
- Fainting
- Thoughts of self-harm
You should also choose the emergency room if you have a history of heart disease or blood clots.
What to Expect During an Urgent Care Visit for Anxiety
A typical visit to urgent care is the same for nearly all conditions. However, knowing what to expect during your visit can help ease additional stress.
- Check in. If this is your first trip to urgent care, you’ll need to fill out paperwork. You’ll also have to provide insurance information or let them know if you intend to pay out of pocket.
- Triage. A nurse will take you to a room and check your vital signs, such as your heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen and temperature.
- Examination. During your visit, you’ll need to provide information about your medical history. You’ll also need to describe what was happening when the anxiety attack started. Be sure to mention any alcohol or substance use that might have contributed to the attack.
- Diagnosis and treatment. Once they’ve ruled out any immediate problems, such as a potential heart attack, your provider will explain what happened and what’s likely causing your physical symptoms. You’ll receive a treatment plan and a referral for follow-up care.
Follow-Up Care and Long-Term Treatment Options
If you decide to go to urgent care for an anxiety attack, it’s just the first step in getting help. If you want to learn how to manage your anxiety and prevent further attacks, you’ll need to follow up with your regular doctor or a mental health professional. The follow-up plan for an anxiety attack may look like this:
- Schedule an appointment. Make an appointment with your primary care physician or mental health specialist. These professionals can discuss long-term medication options and provide refills as needed.
- Therapy. Therapy provides you with the skills you need to manage your anxiety. Treatment options, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, can help you identify the source of panic and teach you ways to cope.
- Lifestyle changes. Your doctor may also suggest lifestyle changes to help reduce stress and anxiety. This may include regular exercise, changes in diet, adequate sleep and meditation.
When to Consider Seeing a Mental Health Specialist
Your primary care physician is a good place to start for help with anxiety. If you experience any of the following, it may be time to see a mental health specialist:
- Anxiety interferes with work and daily life.
- You experience regular panic attacks.
- You’re seeking long-term treatment.
- You want to learn ways to cope.
- Anxiety is linked to past trauma.
Contact FHE Health
For more information on managing your anxiety and advice on available mental health treatment options, contact FHE Health to speak to one of our counselors.
