Anxiety Treatment in West Palm Beach

Anxiety can become a debilitating condition when it develops into a disorder. Anxiety disorders can make daily tasks daunting and prevent people from feeling content even when things are calm. Unfortunately, anyone who has lived with chronic anxiety knows too well that it’s not a simple condition. Anxiety disorders require a deep understanding of causes, triggers, and treatment. At Ambrosia Treatment Center, we provide anxiety treatment in West Palm Beach, Florida.

What is an Anxiety Disorder?

Many who struggle with anxiety also feel unsure of when they need treatment. Since anxiety is a natural stress response intended to protect us from danger, it can be challenging to determine when anxiety has become a disorder. Often, it is loved ones who may notice first that a person is struggling with this mental illness. For some, however, anxiety has been a constant problem they’ve been coping with for a long time.

Anxiety disorders are conditions in which people experience excessive worry, chronic uneasiness, and persistent fear. In addition, anxiety disorders are characterized by fear that will not resolve easily once a stressful situation has passed. These disorders are often accompanied by physical symptoms.

Behavioral Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders

Irrational thoughts
Persistent uneasiness
Irritability
Avoiding regular activities
Difficulty focusing
Constant overthinking

Physical Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders

Insomnia
Panting or labored breathing
Elevated heart rate
Dizziness
Restlessness
Sweating
Stomach and digestive issues
Fatigue
Muscle aches

Anxiety disorder treatment through Ambrosia treatment center.

Who is at Risk for an Anxiety Disorder?

The precise cause of anxiety disorders is still unknown, but the American Psychiatric Association agrees on common factors that may contribute to the disorders. These risk factors are a combination of environmental, psychological, developmental, and genetic factors. Therefore, anxiety disorders can occur due to environmental stressors, trauma during development, medical conditions, and having close family members with anxiety disorders.

How Anxiety Impacts Lives

An anxiety disorder can have a severe negative impact on a person’s life for several reasons. Firstly, coping with persistent anxiety diminishes confidence and self-esteem. People also may live with constant exhaustion from lack of sleep or merely from the unrelenting stress they feel during the day.

Furthermore, anxiety disorders impact relationships, careers, and social lives. Lastly, due to the barriers that many face in seeking treatment, people with anxiety disorders are at a heightened risk of turning to drugs or alcohol in an attempt to numb symptoms. As a result, they may develop a substance use disorder. At Ambrosia Treatment Center, our team is equipped to address addiction and provide anxiety treatment in West Palm Beach, FL.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

The most common type of anxiety disorder, GAD causes chronic and exaggerated worrying symptoms on a daily basis. People with GAD can worry and feel anxious for much of the day, which can hinder concentration and task completion. Additionally, generalized anxiety disorder often causes exhaustion, headaches, tension, and gastrointestinal issues. GAD is prevalent, affecting 6.8 million adults, with less than half receiving treatment.

Social Anxiety Disorder

More than simply being shy, social anxiety disorder is also a common anxiety disorder. It causes an intense fear of social situations, driven by irrational worries. People with a social anxiety disorder often avoid participating in conversations and social gatherings as much as possible. They can experience panic attacks when forced into social interactions, such as unexpectedly having to meet a new group of people. With a social anxiety disorder, irrational fears are often centered around a fear of public humiliation.

Panic Disorder

This disorder causes frequent panic attacks and acute fear. Panic disorder may cause repeated panic attacks over a short time or intermittently without warning. Additionally, panic disorder causes strong physical symptoms, including dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, and stomach upset. Therefore, panic disorder is commonly mistaken for a heart attack or heart condition. Due to the severity of symptoms, those with a panic disorder will often go to extreme lengths to avoid triggers that may cause an attack. Panic attacks can be brought on by major stress or minor situations.

Phobia Disorder

A phobia disorder causes a person to have an intense, irrational fear of particular objects, places, or situations. This fear can be so severe that a person will go to desperate measures to avoid what triggers their phobia. As a result, these attempts to control that fear can inhibit many activities of daily life. For example, agoraphobia is a fear of leaving one’s home or being in places where escape is perceived to be difficult.

Separation Anxiety Disorder

This disorder is characterized by having an excessive fear of being separated from someone there is a close attachment to. This fear persists and causes a person to struggle with daily functions. With separation anxiety disorder, people often have an irrational worry about losing the person they are attached to. Subsequently, this may cause insomnia, nightmares, and reluctance to do anything that could lead to a temporary separation.

A man struggling with anxiety who would benefit from treatment through Ambrosia.

Treatment for Anxiety Disorders

Treating anxiety disorders involves a combination of medications and psychotherapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Both medication and therapy can significantly improve the quality of life for a person coping with an anxiety disorder. At Ambrosia Treatment Center, we work closely with our clients to provide individualized anxiety treatment in West Palm Beach. As a leading treatment center, we utilize evidence-based care for specific anxiety disorders and offer different program levels to customize treatment plans.

Our goal in treating anxiety is to help those struggling to live in the present without constant fear and uneasiness. Therefore, we utilize a variety of therapy techniques to address the symptoms of anxiety disorders and get to the root of the problem. For clients affected by trauma, we also provide trauma treatment at Ambrosia Treatment Center. In addition, for those battling an anxiety disorder and addiction, we address both with dual diagnosis treatment to promote a lasting recovery.