Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety

At Ridgeview, we understand how debilitating living with anxiety can be. Experiencing occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. However, people with anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. It’s been commonly said that a majority of people are more afraid of public speaking than they are of dying. These feelings of anxiety and panic interfere with daily activities, are difficult to control, are out of proportion to the actual danger and can last a long time.

What is Anxiety

Examples of anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder (social phobia), specific phobias and separation anxiety disorder. You can have more than one anxiety disorder. Sometimes anxiety can even result from a medical condition that needs treatment. Often, anxiety disorders involve repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks).

Anxiety Causes

While we have come a long way with the treatment of Anxiety disorders, the causes are still not fully understood. Life experiences such as traumatic events appear to trigger anxiety disorders in people who are already prone to anxiety. Inherited traits also can be a factor as well as some medical conditions like Heart Disease and Diabetes, and medications. Alcohol and substance abuse withdrawals can also trigger Anxiety.

Anxiety Signs and Symptoms

A few of the main signs and symptoms include:

• Substance misuse
• An extreme and intense fear of being judged, criticized, rejected, or otherwise negatively evaluated by other people in social settings.
• Physical signs and symptoms including blushing, sweaty palms, nausea, rapid heart rate, Depression (which often occurs with an anxiety disorder) or other mental health disorders.
• Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
• Digestive or bowel problems
• Headaches and chronic pain
• Social isolation
• A preoccupation with or fear of appearing anxious, boring, or awkward (whether or not other people actually perceive them this way).
• Problems functioning at school or work.
• Poor quality of life
• Suicide

Anxiety Treatment

At Ridgeview Institute, we offer individualized treatment including inpatient services, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient programs, depending on your needs. We work closely with individuals and their families to devise an appropriate plan of care that can help a person learn new strategies to manage their anxiety. Comprehensive care may include:

• Medication management
• Group therapy
• Support groups for individuals and families.
• Patient education