Anxiety

Anxiety is a natural and common response to the stressors of everyday life, from feeling butterflies before a big date to nervousness over an upcoming job interview. However, if anxiety is interfering with your ability to enjoy life, the experienced and compassionate mental health team at Aloha Integrative Health in San Diego, California, can help. The team uses an integrative approach to relieve your symptoms and uncover the source of your anxiety. Call the practice today or schedule an appointment online to learn more.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a mental health condition that causes physical and emotional symptoms that can disrupt your daily function and quality of life. While bouts of fear, worry, and nervousness are normal—even helpful during dangerous situations—persistent anxiety can affect your productivity, relationships, self-esteem, and physical health.

How many types of anxiety are there?

Many types of anxiety can affect your health and well-being. The most common types are:

• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Social anxiety
• Panic disorder
• Phobias
• Separation anxiety 
• Selective mutism
• Agoraphobia

Diagnosing your specific type of anxiety is an essential part of creating your personalized treatment plan.

What does anxiety feel like?

Anxiety can affect every aspect of your life, including your mind and body. While everybody experiences anxiety symptoms differently, common signs include:

• Feeling tense or unable to relax
• Heart palpitations
• Increased heart rate
• Thinking about negative experiences over and over again
• Constant worry or fear
• Sweating
• Weight loss or gain
• Changes in eating habits
• Difficulty maintaining relationships

While the signs of anxiety may seem subtle at first, without treatment, they can affect your ability to work or manage daily tasks.

What triggers anxiety?

Research shows that some people are genetically prone to anxiety, though anybody can develop the condition. Common triggers for anxiety include childhood trauma, emotional abuse, traumatic experiences as an adult, and extreme life changes (losing a loved one, changing jobs, having children, etc.).

Certain personality traits, such as low self-esteem, can also increase your risk of anxiety.

How do you screen for anxiety?

The team performs comprehensive psychiatric evaluations at Aloha Integrative Health to diagnose and treat anxiety. Your psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse reviews your family and medical history, asks questions about your symptoms, and issues questionnaires to determine whether you meet the criteria for an anxiety diagnosis.

Is anxiety treatable?

Managing anxiety symptoms is essential to improve your quality of life and sense of fulfillment. The Aloha Integrative Health team takes a holistic approach to care that combines multiple types of treatments, such as:

• Psychotherapy
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Nutrition management
• Medication management
• Reiki

The right treatment plan can relieve your symptoms and help you enjoy life to the fullest. Call Aloha Integrative Health today or schedule an appointment online to begin your journey toward improved mental health.