If you’re struggling with anxiety symptoms, the first thing you should understand is that you’re not alone. Up to 40 million American adults suffer from an anxiety disorder, and there’s no shame in finding the best help for anxiety. In this guide, we’re outlining when to seek this help, ways for managing anxiety, and if you need anxiety treatment.
Understanding Why You Might Need Help for Anxiety
Before deciding if you need help for anxiety, it’s important to understand its cause. Anxiety can occur as a result of both environmental and genetic factors. Difficult life experiences, personality factors, and an individual’s physical health can all contribute to anxiety. For example, one or more stressful life events could be the cause of an anxiety condition.
Here are some common triggers for anxiety:
- Change in a person’s living arrangements
- The death of a loved one
- Emotional, physical, sexual, or verbal trauma or abuse
- Experiencing major emotional shock after a traumatic or stressful event
- Issues with family or a relationship
- Job changes or work-related stress
- Pregnancy
Physical Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder
Do you feel physical changes in your body when you encounter certain situations, people, or settings? If you’re feeling physical symptoms, that might indicate that it’s time to find help for anxiety. These symptoms typically include:
- Excessive sweating
- Headache
- Rapid heartbeat
- Trouble sleeping
- Upset stomach
For example, if your stomach gets upset each time someone invites you to a social function, that might be a symptom of an anxiety disorder. Or, if you start sweating excessively each time you leave the house or if your heart starts beating a mile a minute when talking to strangers, these are all signs.
Another major signal that you need help with anxiety is when drugs are abused to self medicate. When you need help for a mental health and addiction disorder, dual diagnosis treatment programs are available. These programs reduce symptoms of both conditions so they don’t exacerbate each other.
Seek Help for Anxiety if You’re Having Issues with Cognitive Functions
Insomnia, issues with concentration, and memory problems are also symptoms of problems with anxiety. You might be feeling anxious if you’re having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. This reality is particularly true if you find yourself waking several times each night because you’re unable to stop thinking about your source of stress.
Losing focus is another indicator of having a problem with anxiety. If you can’t sit through a movie, focus on your work, or read a book, those could be signs of feeling anxious. Or, if you keep forgetting things constantly, even things happening recently, then you might be feeling anxious.
Panic attacks can also be a symptom of anxiety. Panic attacks are sometimes very overwhelming and often come on suddenly. It isn’t uncommon for those who are having a panic attack to believe that it’s a heart attack. Symptoms of a panic attack include one or more of the following:
- Rapid heartbeat
- Shaking
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Tightness in your chest
- Upset stomach
Therapeutic Help for Anxiety
When you seek help for anxiety, one of your first questions might be about treating or managing anxiety. If you need anxiety treatment, that could mean recommendations for therapies, medications, or a combination of the two. Common therapies used In anxiety treatment include the following:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy: This form of therapy, also known as CBT, focuses on identifying, learning about, and changing behaviors or thinking patterns that cause anxiety
- Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT): Those participating in DBT therapy work on mindfulness, which enables patients to identify and learn more about the thoughts they’re having as soon as they occur
- Exposure therapy: Patients participating in this form of therapy have gradual exposure to settings or situations they fear in a controlled and safe environment
- Group therapy: These sessions move beyond individual therapy sessions and involve several participants. These group sessions also include peer support and building relationships by relating to others
Find Help for Anxiety at Wellness Counseling Vida Entera
Managing anxiety is not something you need to do on your own. No one should have to experience these overwhelming feelings without the best support. From addiction to anxiety and depression treatment, our specialists are here for you.
Contact Wellness Counseling Vida Entera at 951.400.0082 to learn more about how to get help for anxiety.
