5 Signs Your Anxiety Is Escalating and Requires Professional Intervention

Anxiety is a revving up of our bodies to fight or flee. But, left unchecked, it produces fear that keeps your mind going in circles, worrying about one specific thing or many things, and catastrophizing (predicting the worst outcome) about all.

All people get anxious from time to time — it’s a natural part of being alive. But when it escalates to the point you can’t live your life well, it requires professional intervention.

At Sidhu Psychiatric in Palm Harbor, Florida, Kanwaljit “Kavi” Sidhu NP-C, PMHNP-BC, and the skilled staff diagnose and treat anxiety in a wide range of patients and with various causes. Because it’s easier to treat anxiety when it’s in its early stages, here are five signs your anxiety has reached the point where you need professional help.

Different types of anxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders come in many types. Here are a few of the most common.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

You can develop generalized anxiety disorder as a child or an adult. GAD has many symptoms similar to panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and other types of anxiety, but they're all separate conditions.

In many cases, GAD occurs along with other anxiety or mood disorders, making it even more difficult to live with. In most cases, it improves with psychotherapy and/or medications. Making lifestyle changes, learning coping skills, and using relaxation techniques also can help.

Symptoms can vary and may include:

Persistent worrying or anxiety out of proportion to the impact of the event
Overthinking plans and solutions for all possible worst-case outcomes
Perceiving situations and events as threatening, even when they aren't
Difficulty handling uncertainty
Indecisiveness and fear of making the wrong decision
Fatigue
Difficulty sleeping
Muscle tension or muscle aches
Nervousness or easily startled
Sweating
Gut distress

Even when you’re not worrying about anything specific, you still feel anxious for no apparent reason.

Panic disorder

A person with panic disorder experiences frequent and unexpected panic attacks, characterized by a sudden wave of fear, discomfort, or a sense of losing control, even in the absence of a trigger.

Panic attacks include physical symptoms that may feel like you’re having a heart attack, such as trembling, tingling, and/or a rapid heart rate. Many people with panic disorder worry about having another attack, and they significantly change their life to avoid that, leaving them isolated and still fearful. You can have a panic attack as frequently as several times a day or as rarely as a few times a year.

Panic disorder usually begins in the late teens or early adulthood, and women are more likely than men to develop it.

Some researchers think panic attacks are the body’s “false alarms,” where our typical survival instincts are active too often, too strongly, or some combination of the two. Research is continuing.

Social anxiety disorder

With social anxiety disorder, everyday interactions can lead to significant anxiety, self-consciousness, and embarrassment because of the fear of being scrutinized or judged negatively by others. Fear and anxiety lead to avoidance behavior that can disrupt your life.

Unlike simple nervousness, social anxiety disorder comprises fear, anxiety, and avoidance that together interfere with relationships, daily routines, work, school, or other activities. It generally starts in the early-to-mid teens, though it may appear in younger children or in adults.

Social anxiety disorder symptoms can change over time, and they can flare up if you're facing a lot of changes, stress, or other demands in your life. Although avoidance can make you feel better in the short term, your anxiety will continue over the long term if you don't get treatment.

5 signs your anxiety requires professional intervention

Some people are able to live relatively peacefully with their anxiety disorder, but if you’re displaying any of the following signs, you need to get professional help:

Anxiety interferes with personal or professional relationships
You can’t complete tasks on time because you’re spending time worrying about them
You become withdrawn, depressed, or suicidal
You develop physical symptoms that aggravate your anxiety
You become unable to fall or stay asleep

Most anxiety disorders can be treated successfully with psychotherapy (talk therapy), especially cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which teaches you new coping skills, and medication.

If your anxiety is spending too much time being up close and personal with you, Sidhu Psychiatric can help. Call our office at 727-382-1383, or contact us online today.