Anxiety Disorder Treatment near San Marcos TX
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), over 40 million adults in the U.S. (19.1%) have an anxiety disorder. It’s important to note that you don’t have to have an anxiety disorder to be affected by anxiety, either directly or through a loved one. Having a deeper understanding of the causes of anxiety, how anxiety affects us and what we can do about it are all important steps to taking your life back from feelings of anxiety.
Types of Anxiety
There are several types of anxiety that you may feel either separately or simultaneously. Often, your environment, experiences or underlying conditions that cause anxiety, such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, can inform the type of anxiety you’re most likely to feel. There are seven main types of Anxiety, according to the DSM-5. These include:
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Generalized anxiety disorder is the persistent feeling of worry across several aspects of life. A person with GAD will feel worried, often time catastrophizing, regardless of if something has gone wrong or not.
- Panic Disorder: Panic disorder is the sudden on-set of panic attacks. These attacks are episodes of intense fear that can cause increased heart rate, sweating, hyperventilating and even loss of consciousness in severe cases. Someone with panic disorder can also have GAD, or another anxiety disorder concurrently.
- Specific Phobia Disorder: Someone with a specific phobia disorder has anxiety around a specific object or subject. For example, arachnophobia is the fear of spiders. This disorder will cause someone to avoid their phobia at any costs, and may even trigger panic attacks. These phobias can develop in response to traumatic events, or entirely on their own.
- Social Anxiety Disorder: Social anxiety disorder is when a person feels extremely uncomfortable and fearful in social situations. This fear is persistent in all social situations, particularly new situations, and stems from a fear of scrutiny or failure in social situations.
- Agoraphobia: Agoraphobia is the fear of being unable to escape, or find a safe space to be, particularly in public places. Agoraphobia is characterized by staying in comfortable spaces, avoiding new places, or needing a “safe” person to accompany them. In very severe cases, someone with agoraphobia may be unable to leave their home at all.
- Separation Anxiety Disorder: Separation anxiety disorder is the fear of being separated from someone, and can be quite common in children. The focus of someone’s separation anxiety, which can often be a parent or partner, is often seen as a “safe” person, and without their presence, a person with separation anxiety may feel unsafe, unprotected, and alone. This can cause panic attacks, avoidance behavior, and other instances of acting out.
- Selective Mutism: Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder where someone is unable to speak in specific situations, despite having the ability to speak and understand language in other settings. This is not a choice to be quiet, but a physical inability or severe issue with speaking in certain situations, due to anxiety. Selective mutism can be a common co-morbidity with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Treatment Options for Anxiety
If you are struggling with anxiety, there are several treatment options that you can explore. What option will be best for you will depend on your experience with your symptoms, as well as your lifestyle needs. Treatment options can range from:
- Inpatient programs: Inpatient treatment involves staying overnight at a facility to receive around the clock treatment. Inpatient treatments often involve several types of therapy and therapeutic activities during the day, as well as educational activities or support for children and adolescent programs.
- Outpatient programs: Outpatient programs are similar to inpatient programs in their approaches, using the same kinds of therapies and activities. However, as the name suggests, there is no on-site facility stay for outpatient programs. Programs can be a few hours to a full day, depending on the program or your needs.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), often also referred to as talk therapy, can help someone understand their anxiety, where it comes from and its triggers, as well as tools to help you to process those triggers.
- Exposure Therapy: Exposure therapy involves engaging in or being exposed to small doses of their anxiety trigger, ramping up that exposure as the trigger lessens. For example, someone with agoraphobia in exposure therapy may start right outside their door, with a goal to get down the street.
- Medication: Medication can be a great tool in helping manage your anxiety and make symptoms less acute, especially in tandem with therapy. Talk to your doctor or psychiatrist if you think that medication can assist with your management of anxiety.
Help for Anxiety is Available
San Marcos Treatment Center in San Marcos, TX has a long history of helping young patients cope with psychiatric and behavioral health issues. Our services are designed to target issues, like anxiety, in adolescents and teens to help them thrive into their adulthood. We also are proud to offer Patriot Support for our armed service members and veterans.
To learn more about our services, or to get a level of care assessment, you can call us at 800-251-0059 or reach out to us online.
Call Today
Call us at 800-251-0059 for more details on our programs and insurance options. To make a referral, please call 800-848-9090.
