Anxiety Specialists

What is anxiety and when does it become a disorder?

Anxiety is the feeling you get when you anticipate a future threat. It is normal to experience a level of anxiety when faced with new tasks or you face a challenging circumstance. However, it can become a disorder when the feeling is continuous and the worry intensifies, becoming too much to handle. Those with anxiety disorders find it difficult to control their intense feelings, so they try to bring in a measure of control by avoiding certain situations that lead to anxiety. If anxiety is creating difficulties in relationships and activities it becomes a disorder and needs professional attention.

What are the symptoms of anxiety disorders?

Those with anxiety disorders may experience both emotional and physical symptoms. 

• The emotional symptoms may include feeling apprehensive, tense, jumpy, restless, irritable, or as though filled with dread. It can make a person fear the worst and always on the lookout for signs of danger. 
• The physical symptoms may include shortness of breath, a pounding heart, sweating, tremors, headache, fatigue, upset stomach, frequent urination, or diarrhea.

Are there different types of anxiety disorders?

There are a number of different types of anxiety disorders. Collectively, they make up the most common mental health disorders, affecting around 18% of adults and 8% of children and teenagers. The 4 most commonly diagnosed are:

• Generalized anxiety disorder: This type of anxiety is general in that there is nothing particular that triggers the feeling. Instead, there is a chronic, excessive worry about everyday life. A person suffering from this type of disorder may worry for hours at a time making it difficult to concentrate on ordinary tasks.
•  Social anxiety disorder: This type of anxiety is brought on because of social interactions and situations where performance is evaluated. It is characterized by a fear of being rejected or humiliated. Anxiety is often expressed by panic attacks.
• Panic disorder: Anxiety is brought on by sudden feelings of terror that can occur without warning. Physical symptoms can be very evident and include chest pain, dizziness, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath.
• Phobias: A phobia is an irrational fear of objects or to a specific situation, like a fear of flying. Those with phobias do all they can to avoid their source of fear.

How does RobinsPsych treat anxiety disorders? 

The dedicated team at RobinsPsych develops a treatment plan for each individual, depending on their anxiety disorder, emotional, and behavioral experience. A combination of treatments often works best. From the offices located at the Hub, Bronx, NY, and in Columbus Circle, Manhattan, NY, the medical professionals at RobinsPsych are experts in 2 of the most successful therapies for anxiety: cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. They may also use exposure therapy, relaxation training, stress reduction, and meditation.