Anxiety comes and goes as you face challenges in your daily life. But when anxiety sticks around or becomes overwhelming, it’s time to seek treatment from the skilled team at the Mental Health Clinic of Idaho. The providers help you overcome anxiety with holistic treatments customized to meet your needs.

Anxiety Q & A

When should I seek help for anxiety?

Anxiety is the feeling that arises when you face a dangerous or challenging situation or anticipate a difficult event in the future.

Everyone has anxiety. It’s your body’s natural response to something you fear or dread. As a result, anxiety can become so familiar that you don’t realize when it turns into a problem that could affect your physical and mental health.

It’s time to seek help from the providers at the Mental Health Clinic of Idaho when your anxiety:

• Becomes frequent, constant, or overwhelming
• Lasts well after the dreaded situation ends
• Arises even if you don’t face or anticipate a challenging situation
• Causes you to change your daily routine to avoid feeling anxious

Experiencing just one of these signs indicates your anxiety won’t improve without treatment.

What anxiety symptoms will I experience?

Anxiety may affect your cognitive (thinking) ability and cause emotional and physical symptoms, such as:

• Fear
• Dread
• Irritability
• Nervousness
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Sweating
• Racing heartbeat
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory loss

Severe anxiety may cause a sudden panic attack. Panic attacks resemble heart problems, causing symptoms like difficulty breathing, dizziness, and chest pain.

Could I have an anxiety disorder?

Anxiety that doesn’t improve or gets worse may signal one of the following anxiety disorders:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (constant worry over everyday issues)
• Social anxiety disorder (anxiety when meeting new people or giving a report)
• Separation anxiety (fear that you or your loved ones will suffer harm when separated)
• Specific phobia (intense fear over an object or situation)
• Panic disorder (unexpected and repeated panic attacks)
• Agoraphobia (powerful fear of going outside your home)

Each anxiety disorder causes its own symptoms alongside one or more in the list above.

How is anxiety treated?

After learning about your symptoms and what triggers your anxiety, your provider completes a psychiatric assessment and discusses the best treatment for you.

Your Mental Health Clinic of Idaho provider may recommend:

• Therapy to address the underlying cause
• Therapy to challenge and replace negative thoughts
• Mindfulness, deep breathing, meditation, and other relaxation techniques
• Lifestyle changes like exercise, a healthy diet, and sufficient sleep
• Ways to develop social support and meaningful connections
• Medication management based on symptom severity