How to Recover From Anxiety

Anxiety is a general term for a variety of mental health conditions in which excessive worry and physical feelings of stress are the primary symptoms. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 40 million American adults have a type of anxiety disorder. While they can be quite serious, anxiety disorders are also very treatable. With a comprehensive treatment plan in place, the majority of patients may expect to see a great reduction in symptom frequency and severity.

Things You'll Need

• Physician

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Instructions

Anxiety Signs and Symptoms

• 1

  Recognize the signs of anxiety. Helpguide, a non-profit mental health resource, cites the following as symptoms of anxiety: feelings of dread, and worry that is out of proportion to the event (or that appears without reason), trouble concentrating, feeling very tense or jumpy, and experiencing physical symptoms of stress such as dizziness, heart palpitations and hyperventilation. If these symptoms are occurring regularly and are interfering with your daily functioning and/or quality of life, you should be evaluated by a physician for a possible anxiety disorder.

• 2

  Get a thorough medical checkup. A general practitioner can rule out possible medical causes for anxiety symptoms. Occasionally heart problems, asthma, hyperthyroidism or other medical conditions may cause similar physical problems. A health care provider can also evaluate your condition and recommend next steps for treatment.

• 3

  See a psychiatrist, if your primary care physician feels that it is warranted. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor with extensive training in treating mental disorders. A psychiatrist can evaluate and diagnose anxiety disorders, provide medications and monitor your treatment. Some psychiatrists also offer limited psychotherapy services or work in partnership with a counselor(s).

• 4

  Seek professional counseling services. Psychotherapy can be a very effective means of recovering from anxiety. The type of treatment that is needed will depend upon the individual patient but may include patient education, behavioral-cognitive therapy, or family therapy. Behavioral therapy, in particular, can help patients to make effective lifestyle changes and to learn ways to cope with symptoms and with events that may trigger anxiety.

• 5

  Follow your treatment plan. Work with your doctors and health care providers. Doctors and psychiatrists may prescribe antidepressants, beta blockers or tranquilizers to help get anxiety symptoms under control. It is very important to take medications as prescribed, particularly because abruptly stopping antidepressants can cause a very serious withdrawal syndrome. Discuss any problems with medications, concerns or side effects with your doctor before you make any dosage changes on your own.