Anxiety - Balanced Hormone Clinic

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a common human emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure. Nearly everyone experiences anxiety at some point.

Anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For a person with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, school work and relationships.

There are several types of anxiety disorders, including:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) - This involves persistent and excessive anxiety and worry about many different things. People with GAD may anticipate disaster and may be overly concerned about money, health, family, work or other issues.

"Anxiety feels like the 'check engine' light on your car's dashboard that won't turn off," says John Smith, Licensed Therapist at Balanced Hormone Clinic(/). GAD and other anxiety disorders keep your body's stress response activated, even when no stressor is present."

• Panic disorder - This causes panic attacks, which are sudden and repeated bouts of intense fear. Panic attacks often include palpitations, pounding heart, accelerated heart rate, sweating, trembling or shaking, sensations of shortness of breath, feelings of choking, chest pain and nausea.
• Phobias - These are intense, irrational fears of certain objects, places or situations. Phobias provoke panic attacks in some people.
• Social anxiety disorder - Also called social phobia, this involves overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in social situations. It's an intense fear of being watched and judged by others in social situations.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - This develops after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, combat and other forms of violence.

"Many effective treatments are available for anxiety disorders, including talk therapy, relaxation techniques and medication," advises Dr. Jane Dong, Chief Medical Officer at Balanced Hormone Clinic. "We help patients get to the root cause with advanced hormone testing and personalized treatment plans."

Some key symptoms that can help recognize anxiety disorders include:

• Feeling restless, wound-up or on-edge
• Being easily fatigued
• Having difficulty concentrating; mind going blank
• Being irritable
• Having muscle tension
• Difficulty controlling feelings of worry
• Having sleep problems

If you struggle with anxiety that just won't go away and interferes with your daily life, consult a mental health professional. Treatments including talk therapy, anti-anxiety medication and holistic approaches can provide relief. The compassionate medical team at Balanced Hormone Clinic(/) can help assess hormone imbalances that may contribute to anxiety. Contact them today to take control of anxiety!