Anxiety

Many things can cause everyday anxiety, from taking exams to paying the bills, but fear shouldn’t control your life. Visit Tioana Maxwell, PsyD, and the team at Bridging the Gap Psychological Services in Greater Houston area,Texas if you feel anxious all the time or experience severe bouts of anxiety. The team uses proven methods to restore peace to your world. If you’re in the Greater Houston area and are seeking anxiety relief, call Bridging the Gap Psychological Services or book an appointment online today.

I worry all the time — do I have an anxiety disorder?

Everyone has things they worry about, like money, relationships, or careers, and feeling stressed, scared, and anxious about these problems is natural. However, anxiety shouldn’t be ruling your life or reaching severe, disabling peaks.

You might have generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) if you constantly worry. With this condition, everything causes stress and indecision. You might spend way too much time worrying about what you should wear, eat, say, and do each day. The fear of making a bad choice ties you in knots, and the outside world becomes scary and threatening.

If your worries focus on something particular, you might have a phobia. Well-known phobias include spiders (arachnophobia) and confined spaces (claustrophobia), but anything could be the subject of this irrational, excessive fear and loathing. If being with others — especially strangers and large gatherings — scares you, it could be social anxiety disorder.

How do I know if my anxiety is excessive?

Some people do tend to worry more than others, so it’s natural to wonder whether your experience reflects your personality or qualifies as a mental health problem. At Bridging the Gap Psychological Services, the team suggests checking for these anxiety symptoms:

• Persistent indecision
• Disrupted sleep
• Avoiding leaving home
• Palpitations (rapid, pounding heartbeat)
• Fast, shallow breathing
• Chest tightness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Chest pain
• Shaking and sweating

With GAD, these symptoms are continual or recur frequently. With phobias, symptoms typically occur when thinking about the thing you fear. Sometimes, symptoms overwhelm you and trigger a panic attack — with a phobia, exposure to the thing you fear will likely trigger one.

Panic attacks are deeply unpleasant periods where you lose control of your fear. You might have difficulties breathing and be unable to stand or move. You might struggle to speak or start crying and screaming. These symptoms can be so severe that people fear they’re having a heart attack.

If you recognize these symptoms and feel anxiety negatively affects you, visit Bridging the Gap Psychological Services for expert treatment.

Can I recover from an anxiety disorder?

With your provider’s help, you can recover from your anxiety disorder. The team specializes in psychotherapy techniques like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and family systems therapy that teach you coping skills and reduce your fears. If you have severe anxiety, you might also need anti-anxiety medication - your provider can refer you to a specialist if necessary.

Call Bridging the Gap Psychological Services or book an appointment online today to be treated for an anxiety disorder.