About one-fifth of American adults experience problematic anxiety. But only around one-third of the people with this common mental health disorder get treatment. Often, this happens when people don’t know the signs that it’s time to seek help.
Triple-board-certified psychiatrist Shakil Tukdi, MD, and his team of mental health experts at Ultimate Psychiatry in Plano, Frisco, and Prosper, Texas, help men and women manage a wide range of mental health disorders, including anxiety.
The term “anxiety” actually describes several mental health conditions. Generalized anxiety disorder is the most common. Some of the other types of anxiety include:
Chronic anxiety keeps your body in a state of constant stress. Over time, your body, mind, and overall quality of life can suffer. Fortunately, effective treatments exist that can help you manage your anxiety and reclaim your life.
Our team knows how difficult it can be to understand when to seek professional help. To help you gain clarity, here are five signs your anxiety is problematic and you should schedule an appointment.
Everyone worries. But when you have anxiety, you can take worrying to the next level. This is because anxiety takes over your brain and normal thoughts, making you feel like something — or everything — is wrong.
Getting your anxiety under control is essential for stopping anxious thinking. If you start each morning feeling worried about the day or with a sense of dread or impending doom — even when things aren’t going badly in your life — it’s time to talk to a professional about your anxiety.
Unmanaged anxiety can trigger feelings of panic. This can cause you to feel like your heart is racing or out of control. It can also increase your awareness of your heartbeat, making it feel like it’s beating more than normal, even when nothing is wrong.
Some people with anxiety also have panic attacks. These are periods that may feel similar to a heart attack and can include intense feelings of shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and a tightness in your chest.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of panic, it’s important to seek help from qualified professionals, such as the team at Ultimate Psychiatry.
For people with unmanaged anxiety, sleep can be a means of relief. This can cause some people to sleep more than normal or look for ways to stay asleep longer, such as by taking sleeping pills.
However, for other people, anxiety can make it hard to fall or stay asleep. In fact, many people with unmanaged anxiety struggle with insomnia, which can make anxiety worse.
When you aren’t getting the right sleep, your physical and mental health can suffer. If this describes you, it’s a sign your anxiety is problematic.
Just like feeling your heart race with panic, anxiety can cause other physical symptoms. One of the most common is trembling or shaking you can’t control. If your legs feel wobbly or your hands shake for no obvious reason, talk to your primary care provider.
It’s important to rule out an underlying physical condition. If there’s no physical reason for your symptoms, it could be a sign of problematic anxiety. In this case, schedule an appointment with Ultimate Psychiatry.
Unmanaged anxiety can affect the way your brain works (cognitive functioning). One of the biggest effects includes your ability to focus. Anxious thoughts are distracting. When coupled with the symptoms above, it can make concentrating even more challenging.
If your anxiety is making it hard to focus, or if you can’t concentrate enough to complete your work or school tasks in a reasonable amount of time, come to Ultimate Psychiatry for professional help.
At Ultimate Psychiatry, our providers offer a variety of treatments for anxiety. We begin by completing a comprehensive evaluation, which could include a review of your symptoms, a physical exam, blood tests, and a psychiatric evaluation.
The right treatment for your anxiety depends on your symptoms, overall health, and preferences. Your provider may recommend:
Many anxiety disorder patients find the most effective treatment combines different therapies. For example, combining medication and talk therapies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), may help you control the chemical effects of anxiety so you can work on managing your thinking.
For more information about anxiety or to schedule a consultation, book an appointment online or over the phone with Ultimate Psychiatry today.
