Signs of Anxiety
Anxiety disorders are the most common of all mental health problems and have increased dramatically due to COVID-19. It is estimated they affect approximately 1 in 10 people. They are more prevalent among women than men, and they affect children as well as adults. Anxiety disorders are illnesses. They can be readily diagnosed and effectively treated.
But all too often, they are mistaken for mental weakness or instability, and the resulting social stigma can discourage people with anxiety disorders from seeking help. Realizing that they are medical disorders which can be treated will help to remove the stigma and encourage people with anxiety disorders to explore the treatments available.
As the name suggests, panic disorder is expressed in panic attacks which occur without warning, accompanied by sudden feelings of terror, dread, or doom.
This is a condition in which people suffer from persistent unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or rituals (compulsions) which they find impossible to control.
PTSD is an emotional illness that can develop after exposure to a terrible event or living through a terrifying experience that results in psychological trauma. Learn more about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment.
Post-trauma is the term used to describe an emotional response to a terrible event or repeating events such as an accident, violent act, physical abuse, sexual assault, war, or even a natural disaster. Learn more about Post-Trauma Treatment.
Characterized by repeated, exaggerated worry about routine life events and activities, this disorder lasts at least six months, during which time the person is affected by extreme worry more days than not.
Phobias are divided into two categories: social phobia, which involves fear of social situations, and specific phobias, such as fear of flying, blood, and heights.
People with social phobia feel a paralyzing, irrational self-consciousness about social situations. They have an intense fear of being observed or of doing something horribly wrong in front of other people.
Fear of flying, fear of heights, and fear of open spaces are some typical specific phobias. People suffering from a specific phobia are overwhelmed by unreasonable fears, which they are unable to control.
Diagnosis
Proper diagnosis is the first step to creating a proper treatment plan. Through the employment of the “Biopsychosocial Model” of diagnosis and treatment, your treatment team at Potomac Psychiatry can: determine what biological factors are contributing to your anxiety and stress problems, such as health status, medications used, genetic predispositions, alcohol and drug use, nutrition, and exercise patterns; explore psychological factors such as unconscious influences, childhood traumas, and “emotional sticking points” from the past; analyze social and environmental forces such as work-related stressors, and marital and family conflict; and probe for existential and spiritual factors related to emotional conflict, such as “Do I have sufficient meaning and purpose in my life?” Once the effects on your life of these contributing factors are understood, a personalized, mutually agreed-upon treatment plan can be established; and where appropriate your family members may be brought into the treatment planning development.
