How to Find the Right Diagnosis for Your Anxiety

Everyone has anxiety to some extent. At some point in our lives, we experience anxiety due to stress from work, school, family, and other worries. However, anxiety isn’t the most talked about mental health condition. This may be because so many people experience anxiety. Yet so few are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

While everyone will experience some anxiety in their lives, not everyone has an anxiety disorder. There is a difference between everyday stress and worries and anxiety that you cannot control. The anxiety you cannot control could be due to having a serious mental health disorder.

There is hope and finding the right diagnosis for your anxiety is the first step in getting the help you deserve. If you feel you are experiencing anxiety daily or feel like you cannot control your worries, it may be time to get help from a professional.

What Is Anxiety?

There are many forms of anxiety as a mental health condition. However, the three main forms of anxiety include:

Generalized anxiety disorder
Panic disorder
Social anxiety disorder

If left untreated, these disorders can grow out of control.

#1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder

When you are diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), you may be experiencing the following symptoms:

Feelings of dread or feeling on-edge
Feeling fatigued easily or extremely restless
Trouble concentrating
Feeling irritable
Sleep problems: trouble falling or staying asleep
Feeling constantly worried or wound-up
Unexplainable body aches or headaches

You may recognize these symptoms as part of your everyday routine if you have been experiencing them for months, if not years. However, not getting a proper diagnosis for your anxiety could lead to other mental health conditions, such as depression.

#2. Panic Disorder

Having a panic attack that causes frequent anxiety could be the basis for a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder. The feeling of losing control, severe discomfort, or intense emotions are signs of a panic attack. During this attack, you may feel your heart pounding, chest pain, or the feeling as though your anxiety is out of control.

When people are worried about experiencing another panic attack, they usually avoid things. This can include certain places or situations they find they get the most anxiety. Some people with panic disorder experience panic attacks a few times a day or a few times a year.

#3. Social Anxiety Disorder

When experiencing a social anxiety disorder, you may feel as though all eyes are on you every time you are in a social situation. It could be a paranoid feeling that people are staring at you, or you fear you are being watched.

Though many people feel a sense of nervousness when they are in a social situation, social anxiety disorder is different. It means that your fear of being in a social situation is persistent enough for you to avoid the situation altogether. This could affect how and if you go to work, school, or other social activities.

Having this anxious feeling or fear is so great that you may feel you have no control over the situation. Signs and symptoms of a social anxiety disorder include:

Sweating or trembling uncontrollably
Rapidly beating heart, pounding, or racing
Feeling like your mind has gone “blank”
Severe stomachache and nausea
Difficulty making eye contact
Tight body language and speaking very softly
Feeling as though everyone will judge you negatively
Avoiding places and people where you feel the most anxiety

Coping with a social anxiety disorder is not easy. However, like any anxiety disorder, there are ways to cope and overcome your most severe symptoms.

Seeking the Proper Diagnosis for Anxiety

When seeking the right diagnosis and treatment for anxiety, it is important to go to the right sources. Clinics like Alter Wellness Care can help direct you to doctors that can first understand your symptoms. They can then diagnose you and help you organize a treatment plan.

Reviewing your symptoms with a licensed mental health professional like a psychiatrist can make a substantial difference in knowing which kind of anxiety disorder you have. They can also help diagnose you with any other mental health condition that could worsen your anxiety.

Talk Therapy for Anxiety

After getting the proper diagnosis, it may be time to seek treatment. Talk therapy or psychotherapy is a common way to learn how to manage your anxiety symptoms. Mental health counselors who are trained in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can help devise a treatment program that works best for you.

Going On Medication

While going on medication can be scary, it is also a great option for those with an anxiety disorder. Medication has been shown to help those with panic attacks and other anxiety disorders that are causing a disruption to everyday life. Talk to your doctor or psychiatrist before taking any medication or adding it to your treatment plan.

Having an anxiety disorder can be scary. It also does not help if the people in your life tell you to “just stop worrying so much.” An anxiety disorder is a deeper and more persistent problem that could worsen if left untreated. Seek professional help, and don’t give up because there is a place out there that can help you manage your anxiety disorder.

Anxiety is not an easy mental health condition to live with. You do not have to deal with anxiety alone. If you are looking for a professional diagnosis or an outpatient program, we encourage you to call us at Alter Wellness Care. Our team of medical professionals is here to help you cope and manage your most severe symptoms. With our help, you can achieve a healthier and happier life. We offer programs that include group therapy, CBT, and more. Regardless of your mental health condition, we want to help you. Call the team at Alter Wellness Care at (866) 311-3510 and learn more, or get started with one of our programs.