When Does Anxiety Warrant Professional Help?

If you’re feeling anxious and worried amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic, the death of George Floyd, and the social unrest that has followed, you’re not alone. These troubling times are difficult for everyone, both here in Minnesota and across the nation. It can be challenging to know what is normal and what warrants professional help. 

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem in the United States, affecting nearly one-fifth of American adults. Yet, only about a third of adults with the disorder seek help — even though effective treatment options exist.

At Plymouth Psych Group located in Plymouth, Minnesota, our mental health professionals are here to help. As part of our comprehensive line of services, our providers are skilled at helping anxiety suffers cope with the daily strain of their condition — especially during challenging times.  

If you suffer from feelings of anxiety, here’s a deeper look at the disorder and when it warrants professional help.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is actually a blanket term that covers a number of different mental health disorders, including:

• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Panic disorders
• Phobias
• Social anxiety disorder
• Separation anxiety disorder
• Agoraphobia

Of these types of anxiety, the most common form is generalized anxiety disorder. 

Generalized anxiety disorder puts your body in a near-constant state of fight-or-flight mode. 

The human body evolved to respond to stress with the fight-or-flight response, a surge of stress hormones released into the bloodstream when we face a stressful situation. 

These stress hormones, namely adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol, increase your respiratory rate, heartbeat, and cause blood vessels to constrict forcing blood to the center of the body, thereby raising your blood pressure. 

These physiological reactions were designed to give you the tools you need to handle the stress in life-threatening situations, such as giving you a burst of speed to run away or strength to fight off a threat. 

With a generalized anxiety disorder, however, your body spends too much time in this state of heightened alertness. The result? Your mental and physical health suffers.

When does anxiety warrant professional help?

No matter what type of anxiety disorder you have, anxiety can imprison you in a world of irrational fear, void of hope, and full of a sense of impending doom. Although everyone experiences stress and anxiety to some degree, it’s time to seek professional help when your anxiety:

• Interferes with personal or professional relationships
• Creates persistent sleep issues
• Affects your ability to concentrate
• Stops you from doing the things you enjoy
• Fosters a sense of self-loathing or a feeling of worthlessness
• Isolates you from others
• Causes you to have suicidal thoughts

In addition to these emotional and mental troubles, anxiety disorders can cause problems with your physical health, like digestive issues, headaches, or chronic pain. If you’ve noticed your anxiety wreaks havoc on your physical health, it’s even more important to seek help. 

The bottom line is if you feel trapped by your anxiety disorder and find yourself in a state of excessive fear or worry more often than not, professional help is warranted.

How is anxiety treated?

The good news is there’s much we can do to help release you from the prison of anxiety and help you enjoy your life again. When it comes to treating anxiety disorders, the providers at Plymouth Psych Group offer knowledgeable and compassionate care that relies on the latest science and treatment modalities. 

Our highly trained mental health providers offer different types of services to treat men and women who suffer from a wide range of mental health disorders, including anxiety. Our team understands the effect a problem like anxiety can have on your quality of life, forcing you into an existence governed by worry, fear, and dread.

We customize a treatment plan specific to your type of anxiety, symptoms, and goals. Whether you choose to control your condition through psychotherapy, medications, behavior modification, or a combination approach, the end result is that we’re able to help you gain the upper hand on your anxiety. 

If anxiety is stopping you from leading a happy, normal life, contact the Plymouth Psych Group to set up a consultation or request an appointment using our online form!