What is an anxiety disorder?

Anxiety disorder is when patients experience excessive anxiety and stress, often about inconsequential things. This anxiety extends to their work lives, relationships, and personal health. 

There are different kinds of anxiety disorders like generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety disorder. If you don’t take steps to address your anxiety, it becomes more difficult to treat and can increase your risk of developing chronic physical illnesses like heart disease, hypertension, and gastrointestinal conditions.  

Other than feeling constant anxiety and being unable to relax, patients with anxiety disorder can also have the following symptoms:

Restlessness

Fatigue

Difficulty concentrating

Irritability

Muscle tension

Insomnia

If you don’t address your anxiety disorder, you may also start to develop panic attacks — abrupt episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms. Panic attacks and their accompanying symptoms usually last for just a few minutes, but they leave you exhausted and are a disruption to your everyday life.

During a panic attack, along with sudden, intense feelings of anxiety, you will also have physical symptoms, including:

Heart palpitations

Sweating

Trembling

Numb or tingling extremities

Difficulty breathing

Feeling out of control

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms of anxiety disorder, or if your condition has advanced and you’re having panic attacks, Katy Internists can help you manage the symptoms of both to help decrease their frequency. 

The team at Katy Internists works with you to create a customized treatment plan based on the severity of your anxiety and how it’s affecting your ability to function. Your doctor may suggest a combination of psychotherapy and medication to relieve your symptoms and the underlying issues contributing to your disorder.

Psychotherapy like cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), teaches you to identify negative thought patterns. The process also helps you understand the triggers of your anxiety and how you react to these triggers. By understanding the causes of your disorder, CBT teaches you to change your thinking so you aren’t negatively affected by these triggers. 

Talk therapies are usually suggested in combination with medications to address abnormalities in your internal brain chemistry. Your practitioner may suggest antidepressants or antianxiety medications to address your long-term symptoms.

If you or a loved one is suffering from crippling anxiety attacks, call the office or use the online scheduling tool to make an appointment to receive treatment at Katy Internists.