Anxiety Disorders
What is an anxiety disorder? First of all, it is important to know that anxiety is a normal and healthy human emotion. Anxiety is meant to alert us to danger, or motivate us to get something important done. For example, if you were crossing the street and all of a sudden a bus was coming right at you, it would be important that you felt very anxious about this, because your anxiety would motivate you to jump out of the way! Similarly, if a student had a big math exam coming up, feeling a little bit anxious about the test is helpful, because this feeling motivates the student to hit the books!
An anxiety disorder occurs when someone’s anxiety is persistent, overwhelming, and seemingly uncontrollable. An anxiety disorder is diagnosed when a person’s anxiety and resulting avoidance behaviors are interfering significantly in daily life. Anxiety disorders are real and serious medical conditions. They are the most common mental health disorders in the US. Anxiety disorders can disrupt people’s lives in a variety of ways. Whether a child is not able to attend school or participate in their social or academic lives, a teen struggles with constant worry about the future, or an adult can’t drive because of pervasive fears of having a panic attack, anxiety disorders can wreak havoc on a person’s life.
The good news is that anxiety disorders are treatable! With the help of an anxiety specialist, you can overcome your fears and get back to a life that is meaningful and full of the things that matter to you.
There are several types of anxiety disorders. We are specialists at helping people overcome their fears, and have years of experience working with children, teens, and adults with all types of anxiety. Help is available!
We are experts in the treatment of:
- Social phobia
- Selective mutism
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Specific phobias
- Panic disorder
- Separation anxiety disorder