Anxiety Disorder Evaluation and Treatment
Everyone experiences stress, and anxiety is a normal response to stress. Anxiety is a common mental health condition, with about 1 in 5 adults experiencing an anxiety disorder in any given year.
However, when anxiety becomes excessive, persistent, and interferes with daily functioning, it may be diagnosed as an anxiety disorder. For people with anxiety disorders, the anxiety does not go away and typically worsens over time. Anxiety symptoms can negatively interfere with daily activities such as work, school, and relationships.
There are five types of anxiety disorders that we treat at Novum Psychiatry. Dr. Bijoy Mathew in our Sudbury office treats anxiety in adolescents and teens ages 14 and up.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder, also known as GAD, is characterized by chronic anxiety and worry on most days for at least 6 months. People with Generalized Anxiety Disorder worry excessively about many everyday life circumstances such as personal health, work, school, and social interactions.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
People with OCD have symptoms of obsessions, compulsions, or both. These symptoms can interfere with all aspects of life, such as work, school, and personal relationships.
Not all habits are compulsions, but someone with OCD can’t control these thoughts or behaviors, spending at least one hour a day on these thoughts and behaviors and causing significant problems in daily life.
Panic Disorder
People with panic disorder often have sudden and repeated panic attacks, during which feelings of intense fear and losing control trigger a physical response to no real danger.
PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing a life-threatening, terrifying, or dangerous event. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD symptoms include violent personal assaults, child sexual or physical abuse, natural disasters, gun violence, terror attacks, military combat, accidents, and other serious events.
Social Anxiety
Social anxiety disorder is a chronic mental health condition in which every day interactions cause significant anxiety, self-consciousness, and fear of being judged or scrutinized by others. Social anxiety disorder is a common type of anxiety disorder that we treat at Novum Psychiatry.
Symptoms of Anxiety
People with generalized anxiety disorder experience a combination of anxious thoughts or beliefs, physical symptoms, and changes in behavior such as avoiding everyday activities they used to do. Just like every person is different, everyone experiences anxiety differently and every anxiety disorder has different symptoms.
Anxiety disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, PTSD, and social anxiety have unique characteristics.
Common Anxiety Symptoms
- Fear and dread about things that may happen now or in the future
- Shortness of breath
- Rapid heart rate
- Nausea or upset stomach
- Dizziness
- Restlessness or feeling wound-up or on edge
- Being easily fatigued
- Difficulty concentrating
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Difficulty controlling the worry
- Sleep problems (difficulty falling or staying asleep or restless, unsatisfying sleep)
When To Seek Help For Anxiety
Anxiety can be beneficial in some situations.
Stress helps you deal with challenges, high-pressure situations such as athletics or important meetings, and even as a built-in warning system (the fight-or-flight stress response, for example).
However, when anxiety becomes hard to control and negatively affects your day-to-day life, it can be debilitating and should be treated as early as possible. Anxiety disorders are typically treated with medication, counseling, or a combination of both.
How Are Anxiety Disorders Diagnosed and Treated?
A Novum Psychiatry psychiatrist will ask you questions about your symptoms, medical history, and possibly perform tests to rule out other health problems that could be causing your symptoms.
Anxiety disorders are diagnosed when fear and dread of nonthreatening situations, events, places, or objects become excessive and uncontrollable. Anxiety disorders are also diagnosed if the anxiety has lasted for at least 6 months and it interferes with social, work, family, or other aspects of life.
Treatment typically includes medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of both. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a common form of talk therapy that is widely used to treat anxiety disorders.
Request an evaluation today with the experienced, professional Novum Psychiatry team.
Request Your Confidential Evaluation Today
We know that taking the first step can be difficult.
Whether this is your first time seeking psychiatric care or if you are seeking a new provider, Novum Psychiatry can help. Our team of psychiatrists and therapists are committed to understanding your unique experience and working closely with you on a treatment plan to maximize the quality of your life.
