Anxiety disorders

What is an Anxiety Disorder?

Approximately 40 million American adults are affected by an anxiety disorder each year causing them to experience persistent distress which has a significant impact upon their daily functioning.

What is Panic Disorder?

Panic Disorder is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by repeated, sudden, discrete periods of intense anxiety accompanied by physiological symptoms such as tachycardia (racing heart), sweating, weakness, stomach upset, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, and/or chest pain, among other symptoms.  Panic attacks are frequently accompanied by a fear of impending doom, fear of “going crazy,” fear that one is having a heart attack, and/or fear of “losing control.” Individuals who experience panic attacks typically experience anticipatory anxiety regarding future panic attacks and can become disabled by their fear, unable to carry out daily activities.

What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

Generalized Anxiety Disorder is an anxiety disorder in which an individual experiences uncontrollable, persistent worry about a variety of everyday problems.  This anxiety and worry is exaggerated and inconsistent with the degree of anxiety that the situation warrants.  This anxiety and worry may impair the individual’s sleep, appetite, and ability to concentrate. The individual may experience physiological symptoms including headache, stomach upset, hot flashes, muscle tension, and fatigue as well as irritability and an inability to relax. This anxiety can become so intense that it impairs the individual’s ability to carry out activities of daily living.

What is a Phobia?

A Specific Phobia is an anxiety disorder in which an individual has an intense, irrational fear of something that poses no actual threat. This fear can become so intense that the individual begins to avoid experiencing this intense level of anxiety by avoiding that which is feared.  This fear and avoidance can have a significant negative impact on the individual’s personal
and/or professional life.

How are Anxiety Disorders treated?

Psychotherapy, namely cognitive-behavioral therapy, psychotropic medication, and a combination of both have been empirically-demonstrated to successfully treat anxiety disorders. Psychotherapy alone can empower the individual with skills to overcome one’s anxiety, while medication may assist in alleviating anxiety symptoms so that the individual is able to successfully participate and progress in psychotherapy.

How canThe Center for Emotional Health help me?

The Anxiety Disorders Treatment Program is a specialized treatment program for generalized anxiety, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and specific phobia that improves coping skills, alleviates symptoms, and empowers the individual to control one’s anxiety, freeing the individual to more fully enjoy each day.