Anxiety Treatment

How common is Anxiety? 

Anxiety Disorders are the most common type of psychiatric problem in the US, affecting about 20% of adults, 30% of adolescents, and 10-15% of children. However, only 1 in 5 people with Anxiety Disorders seek treatment. 

Why should I seek treatment for Anxiety? 

Anxiety disorders can cause difficulty in school, at work, at home, and in relationships. Untreated or inadequately treated Anxiety disorders can make it difficult to work and engage in your regular activities. Fortunately, effective treatment for Anxiety is available and can be very helpful. With treatment, people with Anxiety can improve their level of function and can live healthy, happy, satisfying lives. 

What causes anxiety?

Anxiety is caused by three primary factors:

1) Genetics. If Anxiety runs in your family, you are much more likely to have an Anxiety disorder yourself.

2) Trauma and psychological stressors. Adverse experiences such as losses, poverty, violence, and abuse increase risk for Anxiety.

3) Other health problems. Thyroid problems, nutrient deficiencies, hormone imbalance, heart arrhythmias, substance abuse, and medication side effects can also cause or contribute to Anxiety.

What are the types of Anxiety Disorders?

Types of Anxiety Disorders include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety, Agoraphobia, Specific Phobias, Panic Attacks, and Panic Disorder. There are also Anxiety Disorders that are specific to childhood, such as Separation Anxiety. Each of these disorders cause different symptoms and are treated differently.

Accurate diagnosis can be essential to creating an effective treatment plan for Anxiety. Our team of board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioners and psychotherapists at Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness has extensive experience and expertise in diagnosing and treating all types of Anxiety Disorders.

What are the symptoms of Anxiety?

Symptoms of Anxiety include excessive worrying, nervousness, fear, apprehension, dread, restlessness, concentration problems, irritability, and insomnia. 

Generalized Anxiety causes people to feel anxious and worried the majority of the time.

Social Anxiety occurs or gets worse when meeting new people, interacting with people you don't know well, or speaking in public, and causes excessive fear of judgement, blushing, shaking, stuttering, and rapid or pounding heartbeat.

Panic Attacks can cause sudden rushes of intense fear, a sense that something terrible is about to happen, sweating, shaking, rapid or pounding heartbeat, palpitations, chest tightness, rapid breathing, shortness of breath, numbness, tingling, nausea, vomiting, tearfulness, or loss of consciousness.

Panic Disorder refers to panic attacks that are frequent or severe enough to prevent people from engaging in normal activities.

Agoraphobia causes fear of crowded, enclosed, or open spaces, and sometimes gets so severe that people are afraid to leave the house.

Specific Phobias involve severe anxiety provoked by exposure to certain triggers, like spiders, snakes, heights, or flying.

Childhood Anxiety Disorders often cause physical symptoms like stomachaches or headaches. 

What is the best treatment for Anxiety?

At Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness, our team of board certified psychiatric nurse practitioners and psychotherapists use a holistic approach to Anxiety treatment, combining Anxiety medication with psychotherapy, nutritional psychiatry, and other integrative treatments for Anxiety, to give you the best possible results.

Mild Anxiety can sometimes be treated solely with non-pharmacological treatments including psychotherapy, sleep hygiene, vitamins, supplements, meditation, breathwork, and relaxation exercises. For moderate to severe Anxiety, anxiolytic medication can be very effective. Some Anxiety medication is taken every day, while other Anxiety medications are taken as needed for breakthrough symptoms. Most medications for Anxiety have very manageable side effects that usually resolve in the first weeks of treatment.

Medication for Anxiety

First line treatment for Anxiety is an SSRI, such as sertraline or escitalopram. If SSRIs are ineffective or cause intolerable side effects, the following medications are frequently used to treat Anxiety:

• SNRIs such as venlafaxine or duloxetine
• Tricyclics such as amitriptyline
• Buspirone
• Propranolol
• Gabapentin

Medications for Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder include:

• Hydroxyzine
• Benzodiazepines such as clonazepam

Genetic differences can make some people respond better to certain Anxiety medications rather than others. We select medications using clinical guidelines, our clinical judgment, and your preferences, but we sometimes need to try multiple medications to find the one that works the best with the fewest side effects. We can also use genetic testing to help identify which medications are more likely to be effective and well tolerated for you.

If Anxiety does not fully resolve after trying two or more medications, it is considered Treatment Resistant Anxiety. Ketamine Assisted Therapy is a safe, effective treatment for Treatment Resistant Anxiety, and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is safe and highly effective for Treatment Resistant Anxiety when it co-occurs with Depression.  The vast majority of patients we treat for Anxiety are able to effectively control their symptoms and achieve meaningful improvement in function and well-being.

If you would like to learn more about psychiatric evaluation and holistic psychiatric treatment for Anxiety for children, teens, and adults at Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness, Contact Us with questions or Book Now  to request an intake appointment today. Appointments are available either in-person in our offices in Golden or Denver, Colorado, convenient to the Denver Metro area, or via telehealth anywhere in Colorado. We look forward to meeting you!

Sources

https://www.nami.org

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/

https://www.samhsa.gov/

https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/mental-health-myths-facts

https://mhanational.org/mentalhealthfacts

https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Anxiety-Disorders