When Does Anxiety Require Medication Intervention?

When Does Anxiety Require Medication Intervention?

Everyone experiences anxiety occasionally, and it’s perfectly natural. However, if anxiety begins to haunt you all the time or affect your ability to function, medical intervention may be in order.

To help you determine whether your anxiety may warrant our help, Brook Choulet, MD, and our extensive team of mental health experts here at Choulet Wellness pulled together a list of red flags. 
 

Explaining anxiety

Before we get into the signs that you or a loved one might benefit from the medical intervention for anxiety, let’s take a closer look at what we’re referring to when we discuss anxiety.

To start, anxiety disorders are the most common mental health issue in the United States, affecting 40 million adults alone. Note that we use the term “anxiety disorders,” as there are many ways in which excessive anxiety can manifest itself. For example, the most common anxiety disorders include:

• Generalized anxiety disorder

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder

• Post-traumatic stress disorder

• Social anxiety disorder

• Certain phobias

• Panic disorder
   

We also want to point out that the levels of anxiety are currently high in the United States as we’re well into the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Center for Health Statistics reports that nearly one-third of the population reports clinical signs of either depression or anxiety.

Since anxiety can present itself in different ways, we’re not going to review symptoms here, but, rather, a few signs that your anxiety may warrant medical attention.
 

Problematic anxiety

While everyone experiences an anxiety disorder in their own way, there are a few rules of thumb for problematic anxiety, which include:
 

Interference with your ability to function

If anxiety has you paralyzed and unable to go to school, work, or socialize with friends, this is a clear sign that you may benefit from our help.
 

Physical symptoms

Anxiety puts the body in a state of heightened alert, and this can take a physical toll. For example, gastrointestinal upset, headaches, and body aches are all common complaints when it comes to anxiety disorders.
 

Panic attacks

If you experience frequent panic attacks during which your heart races, you sweat, and you have trouble breathing, these physical manifestations of anxiety may indicate you need medical attention.
 

Cognitive difficulties

Another common side effect of an anxiety disorder is the inability to concentrate, remember, or think, in general. If you feel like your anxiety is placing you in a fog, seeking help might be the best path forward.
 

A constant companion

If you wake each morning with anxiety and go to bed each night still anxious, this constant anxiety isn’t good for your health. Even if it’s just an underlying feeling of anxiousness, there are ways in which we can quell the excessive worry.

The bottom line is that if you’re feeling trapped by your anxiety, we urge you to seek our help. We have many different treatment avenues, including medication and psychotherapies, which can help you reclaim control over your life again and find peace of mind.

For expert care of your anxiety, we urge you to book an appointment online or over the phone with Choulet Wellness today. We’re based in Scottsdale, Arizona, and we also serve the Paradise Valley area.