Anxiety

No one can escape an occasional bout of anxiety, but for more than 30% of teens and adults, anxiety turns into intense, daily stress that affects their health and interferes with success at school and work. Krystal Donley, PMHNP, and the licensed therapists at Desert View Counseling & Consulting provide individualized care for people of all ages struggling with anxiety. To schedule an in-person or telehealth appointment, call the office in Phoenix or Peoria, Arizona, or use the online booking feature today.

When should I get help for anxiety?

When you feel anxious about an upcoming situation, or you suddenly find yourself in dangerous circumstances, your feelings alert your brain. Your brain immediately triggers a hormonal reaction that gives a surge of energy. When the situation is over, your body resets to normal.

Problems begin when you have constant anxiety and chronically high stress. Staying on high alert puts your mental and physical health at risk.

You should seek help when your anxiety:

• Causes frequent or uncontrollable fear and worry, and dread
• Makes you change your daily activities to avoid anxiety
• Sticks around even though you don’t face an immediate threat
• Prevents you from taking care of daily responsibilities

When anxiety disrupts your life, it’s a sure sign you need help to overcome the problem.

What symptoms does anxiety cause?

Anxiety causes symptoms such as:

• Nausea and stomach aches
• Irritability and nervousness
• Loss of appetite
• Difficulty sleeping
• Headaches, body aches, and chronic pain

There are several anxiety disorders, and each one has additional, unique symptoms. Three of the most common include:

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

GAD causes nearly constant anxiety over daily issues (like your job or children) — even if you don’t have a current or pending problem.

Phobias

Phobias cause intense fear of a specific object or activity, such as spiders or a fear of flying.

Social anxiety disorder

Social anxiety disorder occurs when you must perform in front of others or meet new people.

How is anxiety treated?

Your Desert View Counseling & Consulting therapist talks with you about your symptoms, learns about your concerns, and completes a psychiatric assessment.

In addition to diagnosing anxiety, they want to be sure you don’t have other conditions closely associated with anxiety, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Though they may prescribe medications for severe anxiety or panic attacks, therapy is the primary treatment. The team has experience with numerous therapies proven to work well for anxiety. 

A few examples include:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
• Interpersonal therapy (IPT)
• Exposure therapy
• Art therapy

Your therapist may also teach you relaxation or mindfulness techniques or suggest TMS treatment.

Don’t let anxiety control your life. Call Desert View Counseling & Consulting or book an appointment online today.