Anxiety Disorders

What causes anxiety disorders?

Anxiety disorders are caused by three primary factors:

1) Genetics. If anxiety disorders run in your family, you are much more likely to have an anxiety disorder yourself.

2) Trauma and psychological stressors. Adverse experiences such as losses, poverty, violence, and abuse increase risk for anxiety disorders.

3) Other health problems. Thyroid problems, nutrient deficiencies, hormone imbalance, heart arrhythmias, substance abuse, and medication side effects can also cause or contribute to anxiety.

What are the types and symptoms of anxiety disorders?

Types of anxiety disorders include Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety, Agoraphobia, Specific Phobias, Panic Attacks, and Panic Disorder. There are also anxiety disorders that are specific to childhood, such as Separation Anxiety. Each of these disorders cause different symptoms and are treated differently. Accurate diagnosis can be essential to creating an effective treatment plan. Our team of board certified psychiatric nurse practitioners and psychotherapists at Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness has extensive experience and expertise in diagnosing and treating all types of anxiety disorders.

Symptoms of anxiety include excessive worrying, nervousness, fear, apprehension, dread, restlessness, concentration problems, irritability, and insomnia. Generalized Anxiety causes people to feel anxious the majority of the time. Social Anxiety occurs or gets worse when meeting new people, interacting with people you don't know well, or speaking in public, and causes excessive fear of judgement, blushing, shaking, stuttering, and rapid or pounding heartbeat. Agoraphobia causes fear of crowded, enclosed, or open spaces, and sometimes gets so severe that people are afraid to leave the house. Specific phobias involve severe anxiety provoked by exposure to certain triggers, like spiders, snakes, heights, or flying. Panic Attacks can cause sudden rushes of intense fear, a sense that something terrible is about to happen, sweating, shaking, rapid or pounding heartbeat, palpitations, chest tightness, rapid breathing, shortness of breath, numbness, tingling, nausea, vomiting, tearfulness, or loss of consciousness. Panic Disorder refers to panic attacks that are frequent or severe enough to prevent people from engaging in normal activities. Childhood anxiety disorders often cause physical symptoms like stomachaches or headaches. 

How is anxiety treated?

At Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness, our team of board certified psychiatric nurse practitioners and psychotherapists use a holistic approach combining cutting edge medical treatments with psychotherapy, nutritional psychiatry, and other integrative treatments to get the best possible results.

Mild anxiety can sometimes be treated solely with non-pharmacological treatments including psychotherapy, sleep hygiene, vitamins, supplements, meditation, breathwork, and relaxation exercises. For moderate to severe anxiety disorders, medications can be very effective. Some medications are taken every day to control anxiety, while others are taken as needed for breakthrough symptoms. Medications for anxiety usually have very manageable side effects that usually resolve in the first weeks of treatment.

Genetic differences can make some people respond better to certain medications rather than others. We select medications using clinical guidelines, our clinical judgment, and your preferences, but we sometimes need to try multiple medications to find the one that works the best with the fewest side effects. We can also use genetic testing to help identify which medications are more likely to be effective and well tolerated for you.

If an anxiety disorder does not fully resolve after trying two or more medications, it is considered treatment resistant. Ketamine Assisted Therapy is a safe, effective treatment for treatment resistant anxiety disorders, and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is safe and highly effective for treatment resistant anxiety when it co-occurs with depression.  The vast majority of patients we treat for anxiety disorders are able to effectively control their symptoms and achieve meaningful improvement in function and well-being.

If you would like to learn more about holistic and integrative psychiatric treatment for anxiety at Owl & Eagle Health and Wellness in Golden or Greenwood Village, Colorado, Contact Us with questions or Book Now to request an in-person or telehealth intake appointment today. 

Sources

https://www.nami.org

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/

https://www.samhsa.gov/

https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/mental-health-myths-facts

https://mhanational.org/mentalhealthfacts

https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Anxiety-Disorders