Anxiety

What is anxiety?

An anxiety disorder is a severe mental health condition that causes excessive worry or fear that persists or worsens over time. Without treatment, anxiety can negatively impact your professional life, personal life, and relationships with friends and family.

While it's normal to feel worried and fearful in certain contexts — it's your body's natural response to a perceived threat — anxiety triggers excessive and irrational amounts of worry that won't decrease on their own.

Anxiety may occur in specific situations, like social situations, or you may experience general anxiety with no apparent cause.

What are the symptoms of anxiety?

Anxiety can affect children and adults in different ways. You may worry excessively about people or events, even when it's evident that nothing is wrong. These fears and worries often feel uncontrollable and can interfere with your daily life in significant ways.

Other symptoms of a generalized anxiety disorder may include:

• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Persistent fatigue
• Increased heart rate
• Difficulty concentrating
• Muscle soreness or pain
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep

Some individuals living with anxiety also experience problems with their gastrointestinal system, which can result in frequent nausea and/or constipation.

What are the complications of anxiety?

If you have untreated anxiety, you may be more likely to develop other mental health issues, including:

• Depression
• Chronic pain
• Headaches
• Bowel problems
• Substance abuse
• Suicidal thoughts

Symptoms of anxiety can result in reclusive behavior, causing you to withdraw from your friends and family. You may also have issues functioning at work or school, and without adequate medical intervention, your quality of life can suffer.

What treatments are available for anxiety?

Dr. Brutus performs a diagnostic evaluation and discusses your symptoms in detail to determine if you have an anxiety disorder. She may also perform a physical exam to ensure your symptoms aren't being caused by an underlying health condition.

If Dr. Brutus determines you have an anxiety disorder, she can design a customized treatment plan to help you manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life. 

If anxiety is disrupting your daily life, Dr. Brutus may recommend adjuctive ketamine therapy to supplement antidepressive and anti anxiety medications.  These medications are taken daily and require several weeks before you'll notice a noticeable improvement.

Dr. Brutus is a hands-on provider who regularly monitors the effects of these medications and may recommend changes to your prescription during follow-up visits.

Book an appointment at La Bonne Sante Clinic by calling the office or requesting an appointment online today.