Anxiety Treatment in Los Angeles

girl sitting on couch in anxiety treatmentExperiencing anxiety is a part of being human. At some point, everyone will experience times of worry, nervousness, or a sense of unease. Often these feelings are accompanied by a situation or event with an uncertain outcome. Sometimes, however, these feelings can manifest themselves without being triggered by an external event. While feeling anxious is a natural part of the human experience, too much anxiety may indicate that there is something else going on. The staff at Peer Mental Wellness, located in Los Angeles, California, is specially trained to deal with various mental health disorders, including anxiety disorders.

What Are Anxiety Disorders?

Experiencing anxiety and having an anxiety disorder are two very different things. Anxiety disorders produce a form of anxiety that lingers for much longer and can even get worse over time. There is a wide variety of symptoms attributed to anxiety disorders, but all share the common trait of interfering with daily life, relationships, job performance, and school or work. These symptoms include:

  • Feelings of restlessness
  • Fatigue
  • Irritability
  • Uncontrollable feelings of nervousness
  • Difficulties sleeping, falling asleep, and staying asleep
  • Issues with concentration

These symptoms can do a great deal to take away from quality of life. Luckily, there are many anxiety treatment programs available in Los Angeles. One immediate benefit that can be seen from anxiety treatment programs is determining what type of anxiety a patient has. The best way to combat the symptoms of anxiety is to find and treat the exact form of anxiety that a client is experiencing.

Forms of Anxiety

There are several types of anxiety, including:

  • Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): General anxiety disorder is the most common form of anxiety experienced. People with general anxiety disorder display excessive anxiety consistently over extended periods of time regarding things like their home/personal life, social standing, and career aspirations.
  • Panic disorder: This form of anxiety is marked by persistent panic attacks or sudden periods of intense fear. These panic attacks can be brought on unexpectedly or triggered by a specific event. The symptoms of a panic disorder include: feelings of impending doom, heart palpitations or accelerated heartbeat, sweating, and trembling or shaking.
  • Phobia-related disorders: Phobias are defined as an extreme or irritation fear of or aversion to something. Phobia-related anxiety disorders share many of the same symptoms as other anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorders.

Our Anxiety Treatment Programs in Los Angeles

There is a wide variety of treatment programs available for those suffering from an anxiety disorder. However, most of these treatments fall into two camps: therapeutic treatment and medication. The therapeutic treatments include psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and exposure therapy.

Psychotherapy, commonly referred to as “talk therapy,” is a great way to tackle anxiety and consists of one-on-one conversations between therapist and patient. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy that focuses specifically on the root causes of patients’ anxiety and aims to equip them with the tools necessary to overcome feelings of uneasiness. To do this, therapists will work with their patients to identify, challenge and neutralize unwanted or intruding thoughts to help with their anxiety and improve their overall mental health.

While cognitive-behavioral therapy is focused on an inward exploration of a patient’s issues, exposure therapy focuses outward. Exposure therapy explores and has patients confront their fears underlying their anxiety disorder. This form of therapy helps patients come to terms with their fears and can even help them enjoy activities that they otherwise would have avoided at all costs.

Medication will not cure a patient’s anxiety in its entirety, but it will help counteract the symptoms of their specific anxiety disorder. Medications typically used to treat anxiety include anti-anxiety drugs, antidepressants, and beta-blockers.

Living with anxiety can take so much away from a person’s quality of life and can lead to feelings of inadequacy and depression.

Find Relief in an Anxiety Counseling Program in Los Angeles at Peer Mental Wellness

At Peer Mental Wellness, our experienced mental health professionals offer support and guidance to find the anxiety counseling program to best suit your needs and level of anxiety.

For more information on anxiety, how its treated, and how treatment might be able to help you, contact Peer Mental Wellness, located in Santa Ana, California, today at 714.844.5473.