Where To Get Help For Anxiety

Enrolling In An Iop For Anxiety Therapy Is Ideal If You:

• Have a busy work and travel schedule
• Have not responded to traditional therapy methods
• Are concerned about your privacy
• Have commitments at home you cannot leave to someone else

At BOLD Health, our IOP program to treat anxiety lasts for ten weeks and includes several hours of individual, group, and optional family counseling as well as medication management if needed. If you are committed to overcoming your anxiety issues once and for all, our IOP treatment in San Diego is an excellent option.

Medication Management to Treat Anxiety

Not everyone with an anxiety disorder requires medication. Still, if your doctor concludes that it should be a part of your anxiety treatment program, theyll likely prescribe medication in conjunction with another form of treatment such as individual therapy or our intensive outpatient patient .

Here at BOLD Health, we have anxiety psychotherapists and psychiatrists on staff to help you through anxiety counseling and medication management. We may start you on a medication trial to evaluate how you feel and monitor any potential side effects. Well closely assess and reassess any medication we prescribe to ensure you feel the best you possibly can.

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Treatment For Generalized Anxiety Disorder

If youve given self-help a fair shot, but still cant seem to shake your worries and fears, it may be time to see a mental health professional. But remember that professional treatment doesnt replace self-help. In order to control your GAD symptoms, youll still want to make lifestyle changes and look at the ways you think about worrying

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is one type of therapy that is particularly helpful in the treatment of GAD. CBT examines distortions in our ways of looking at the world and ourselves. Your therapist will help you identify automatic negative thoughts that contribute to your anxiety. For example, if you catastrophizealways imagining the worst possible outcome in any given situationyou might challenge this tendency through questions such as, What is the likelihood that this worst-case scenario will actually come true? and What are some positive outcomes that are more likely to happen?.

The five components of CBT for anxiety are:

Education. CBT involves learning about generalized anxiety disorder. It also teaches you how to distinguish between helpful and unhelpful worry. An increased understanding of your anxiety encourages a more accepting and proactive response to it.

Monitoring. You learn to monitor your anxiety, including what triggers it, the specific things you worry about, and the severity and length of a particular episode. This helps you get perspective, as well as track your progress.

Treatment Of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders can be successfully treated. The most common form of treatment is a combination of drug therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy .

Because most anxiety disorders have some biological basis, the most common drugs prescribed are anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs.

CBT involves helping people to turn their anxious thoughts and feelings into more rational ones. Sometimes people will benefit from being exposed in a controlled way to the object and situation they fear. Some CBT techniques have been developed to deal with specific disorders. For example, people with panic disorder can benefit from learning new breathing and meditation techniques, which can help them deal with their anxiety.

Support groups and learning more about the disorder can also help a great many people deal with anxiety disorders. Involving family and friends who are also affected by the disorder, can help people recover or learn how to cope with their condition.

The most important first step in treatment is to get a proper diagnosis from a specialist in anxiety disorders. Many people suffer for 10 years or more before getting the right treatment.

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Signs Of An Anxiety Attack

These are some of the more common mental and physical symptoms of anxiety:

• feelings of danger, panic, or dread
• nervousness or restlessness
• hyperventilation

Its also possible to experience an anxiety and panic attack simultaneously. The quick coping strategies mentioned above may also help with a panic attack.

Other mindful strategies to cope with panic attacks include focusing on an object, repeating a mantra, closing your eyes, and going to your happy place.

Questions To Ask Your Doctor

Youve probably thought of a million questions you want to ask your doctor. But when youre in the office, theyre easy to forget. Writing them down will help both you and your doctor, and save time. Its a good idea to put the most important questions at the top of the list in case there isnt time for all of them. Here are some questions you may want to ask. Add any others you think are important for your doctor to know.

• Do I have an anxiety disorder?
• Is there something else that might be causing my symptoms?
• What treatment do you recommend?
• Should I see a psychiatrist or a psychologist?
• Is there a medication that I can take? Does it have side effects? What can I do to prevent or relieve the side effects?
• Is there a generic medication I can take? How long will I need to take it?
• When will I feel better?
• What else can I do to relieve my symptoms?

The list of questions you make will help you be prepared to answer your doctors questions. Here are some questions your doctor will probably ask you:

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Best Free Screening Tools: Mental Health America

Mental Health America

Why We Chose It: It has a free online discussion forum for anxiety and phobias.

• Offer articles and self-help tools

• No official support group for anxiety

• Not very guided

Mental Health America is the nations leading community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting mental health. They offer a variety of services and programs, including an online discussion forum.

They do not offer an official support group for anxiety, but they do offer a free forum for anxiety and phobias. Members can ask questions about anything anxiety-related, such as which medications might be helpful and how to deal with specific symptoms.

There are community leaders who monitor the forums, and they say the purpose of their forums is to connect patients, families, friends, and caregivers for support and inspiration.

They also offer screening tools that can help you identify if you might have a mental illness, such as anxiety or PTSD. Simply click on the screening test youd like to take and youll be given a few questions to answer about your symptoms. Within a few minutes, the site will let you know if you should talk to your physician or a mental health professional about the possibility of having a certain condition.

They provide many other online resources, such as articles and self-help opportunities.

How To Distinguish Between Productive And Unproductive Worrying

If youre focusing on what if scenarios, your worrying is unproductive.

Once youve given up the idea that your worrying somehow helps you, you can start to deal with your worry and anxiety in more productive ways. This may involve challenging irrational worrisome thoughts, learning how to stop worrying, and learning to accept uncertainty in your life.

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Socially Interacting With Co

Step 1: Say hello to your co-workers.

Step 2: Ask a co-worker a work-related question.

Step 3: Ask a co-worker what they did over the weekend.

Step 4: Sit in the break room with co-workers during your coffee break.

Step 5: Eat lunch in the break room with your co-workers.

Step 6: Eat lunch in the break room and make small talk with one or more of your coworkers, such as talking about the weather, sports, or current events.

Step 7: Ask a co-worker to go for a coffee or drink after work.

Step 8: Go out for lunch with a group of co-workers.

Step 9: Share personal information about yourself with one or more co-workers.

Step 10: Attend a staff party with your co-workers.

When To See A Doctor

Feeling anxious at times is normal but if your anxiety is interfering with your everyday life, then you may need some support.

Signs that you could benefit from anxiety help include:

• You avoid places or situations as a way to manage your anxiety.
• You feel like your worrying is interfering with your work, relationships or other parts of your life.
• You have trouble concentrating, relaxing or sleeping.
• You feel that you cant control your anxiety.
• You have suicidal thoughts or behaviours. If this is the case, seek help immediately.

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Intensive Outpatient Programs For Anxiety Treatment

An IOP for anxiety is a more rigorous form of treatment ideal for people with severe or complex anxiety symptoms. IOPs are often used as an alternative to residential treatment. While intensive outpatient programs are structured and with the goal of helping you feel better quickly, like in-patient programs, they allow you to get the help you need while living at home.

What Is An Anxiety Attack

Anxiety attacks, also known as panic attacks, are episodes of intense panic or fear. They usually occur suddenly and without warning. Sometimes theres an obvious triggergetting stuck in an elevator, for example, or thinking about the big speech you have to givebut in other cases, the attacks come out of the blue.

Anxiety attacks usually peak within 10 minutes, and they rarely last more than 30 minutes. But during that short time, you may experience terror so severe that you feel as if youre about to die or totally lose control. The physical symptoms are themselves so frightening that many people think theyre having a heart attack. After an anxiety attack is over, you may worry about having another one, particularly in a public place where help isnt available or you cant easily escape.

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Signs And Symptoms Of Social Anxiety Disorder

Just because you occasionally get nervous in social situations doesnt mean you have social anxiety disorder or social phobia. Many people feel shy or self-conscious on occasion, yet it doesnt get in the way of their everyday functioning. Social anxiety disorder, on the other hand, does interfere with your normal routine and causes tremendous distress.

For example, its perfectly normal to get the jitters before giving a speech. But if you have social anxiety, you might worry for weeks ahead of time, call in sick to get out of it, or start shaking so bad during the speech that you can hardly speak.

Emotional signs and symptoms of social anxiety disorder:

• Excessive self-consciousness and anxiety in everyday social situations
• Intense worry for days, weeks, or even months before an upcoming social situation
• Extreme fear of being watched or judged by others, especially people you dont know
• Fear that youll act in ways that will embarrass or humiliate yourself
• Fear that others will notice that youre nervous

Physical signs and symptoms:

• Avoiding social situations to a degree that limits your activities or disrupts your life
• Staying quiet or hiding in the background in order to escape notice and embarrassment
• A need to always bring a buddy along with you wherever you go
• Drinking before social situations in order to soothe your nerves

Dont Let Your Anxiety Control Your Life Any Longer

Whether youve been living with anxiety for months, years, or decades, its never a bad time to get the help you need. While life will always include bouts of stress and anxiety-inducing scenarios and situations, you dont have to let it control your day-to-day any longer.

At BOLD Health, our team of highly-trained clinicians will develop the perfect anxiety counseling and treatment plan to help you finally live your life on your terms.

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Government Of Canada’s Role

The Government of Canada is working to help Canadians improve and maintain their mental health, including coping with anxiety disorders. Within its jurisdiction, the Government of Canada works to:

• Support Canada’s researchers in finding ways to prevent and treat mental illnesses and disorders.
• Strengthen the capacity of the primary health care, home care and acute care sectors to effectively deliver mental health programs and services.
• Work in collaboration with other governments and non-governmental organizations to improve the mental health of Canadians.
• Provide high quality, reliable information to the public.
• Report on health trends in the population.

In 2007, the federal government provided funding to establish and support the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Among other goals, the Commission leads in the development of a national mental health strategy and works to reduce the stigma about mental illness.

Do I Have An Anxiety Disorder

If you identify with any of the following seven signs and symptoms, and they just wont go away, you may be suffering from an anxiety disorder:

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Tip : Practice Relaxation Techniques For Gad

Anxiety is more than just a feeling. Its the bodys physical fight or flight reaction to a perceived threat. Your heart pounds, you breathe faster, your muscles tense up, and you feel light-headed. When youre relaxed, the complete opposite happens. Your heart rate slows down, you breathe slower and more deeply, your muscles relax, and your blood pressure stabilizes. Since its impossible to be anxious and relaxed at the same time, strengthening your bodys relaxation response is a powerful anxiety-relieving tactic.

Effective relaxation techniques for relieving anxiety include:

Deep breathing. When youre anxious, you breathe faster. This hyperventilation causes symptoms such as dizziness, breathlessness, lightheadedness, and tingly hands and feet. These physical symptoms are frightening, leading to further anxiety and panic. But by breathing deeply from the diaphragm, you can reverse these symptoms and calm yourself down.

Progressive muscle relaxation can help you release muscle tension and take a time out from your worries. The technique involves systematically tensing and then releasing different muscle groups in your body. As your body relaxes, your mind will follow.

What Questions Should I Ask

• Do I have an anxiety disorder? How do I know?
• What steps should I take if I am having an anxiety attack?
• Can anxiety attacks be successfully treated?
• Do I need medication to treat my anxiety?
• What are the symptoms of anxiety?
• What happens if I also suffer from other mental health problems, such as depression or substance abuse?
• Do people with anxiety need to go to specialized treatment programs?
• How much does treatment cost?
• Will my insurance cover the cost of treatment?
• Will I ever feel OK again?
• What should I do next?

Anxiety hotlines can educate you about anxiety and provide the information you need to offer the best assistance to your friend or loved one.If you think a friend or loved one might be struggling with an anxiety disorder or having anxiety attacks, keep in mind that you dont have to be an expert. Anxiety hotlines can educate you about anxiety and provide the information you need to offer the best assistance to your friend or loved one. If you want to talk to knowledgeable staff at an anxiety hotline, free helplines may help ease your concerns, help you obtain further information about treatment, and provide you with more information about anxiety and anxiety attacks. Some of the questions to consider asking if youre calling about a friend or a loved one include:

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Phobias And Irrational Fears

A phobia is an unrealistic or exaggerated fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that in reality presents little to no danger. Common phobias include fear of animals , fear of flying, and fear of heights. In the case of a severe phobia, you might go to extreme lengths to avoid the object of your fear. Unfortunately, avoidance only strengthens the phobia.

Most Active Anxiety Forum: Daily Strength

Daily Strength

• Cost: Free.
• Therapy Modalities: Discussion forum.

Why We Chose It: Daily Strength lets users sign up and post anonymously in an anxiety group that has more than 20,000 members.

• Members can create own forums

• Can be totally anonymous

• Forums not monitored

• Member behavior on honor code

Daily Strength offers a variety of support groups, including one specifically for anxiety. The anxiety forum is active every day and the site tells you how many members are currently online. Its free to sign up and participate. And you can do so anonymously.

Members are even allowed to create their own community groups if they have a specific subtopic theyd like to address. It’s worth noting that the forums are not moderated by anyone at Daily Strength. Instead, the site depends on members to report any instances of abuse. There are administrators who have the ability to ban members who are behaving inappropriately. There are some clear rules posted on their sitesuch as no asking for money and members must respect one anothers differing religious views. The site also offers a variety of resources for anyone who finds themselves in crisis.

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Things To Tell Your Doctor

This information will help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis of your condition.

• Make a list of your symptoms and when they began. Note when your symptoms occur, how they affect your life, and when theyre better or worse.
• Write down any major stresses in your life, as well as any traumas youve experienced, both past and present.
• Write down all of your health conditions: mental and physical.
• Make a list of all medications and supplements youre taking. Include how much you take and how often.

List any other substances you use or consume, such as:

• coffee