When Does Anxiety Require Professional Intervention?

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States; about 31% of women and men experience an anxiety disorder at some point. Although a certain amount of anxiety is just part of everyday life, if you have an anxiety disorder, feelings of dread can become debilitating.

Maggie Vaughan, MFT, PhD, and our team at Happy Apple in New York City diagnose and treat a wide variety of anxiety disorders to help you get back to a life that feels safe and joyful. We offer anxiety therapy and treatment both in person at our Columbus Circle office and online through a HIPAA-secure private portal. 

When is your anxiety just a normal part of life, and when does it require professional treatment? Below is a brief guide.

Do you have a sense of impending doom?

Clinically significant anxiety often manifests as a sense of chronic foreboding. You don’t feel safe, or you may, at a deep level, fear that you’re in danger of dying. 

Even if you can go about your life in a seemingly normal way, if you feel like there’s a cloud of doom hanging over you, therapy and other interventions can help.

Does your success leave you cold?

If you have a type of anxiety called high-functioning anxiety, your achievements could be driven by a sense of inadequacy that causes you to overcompensate. In an attempt to prove your worth, you may neglect:

• Sleep
• Exercise
• Nutrition
• Socializing

Eventually, you could experience physical problems due to living under chronic stress. You can maintain a successful life without doing yourself harm if you learn to manage negative inner talk that causes you to push yourself overly hard and feel constant anxiety.

Do you avoid social situations?

If you have a social anxiety disorder, you avoid spending time with other people. You may cancel commitments to engage with friends and family. You might even miss opportunities at work because you don’t want to interact with your co-workers. 

If you find yourself cutting yourself off from other people, especially friends and loved ones, understand that you could benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other professional interventions. 

Do you have obsessive thoughts or rituals?

Another common type of anxiety disorder is obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). If you have OCD, you may not be able to leave the house until you’ve checked several times to ensure the stove or lights are off. Or you may need to order everything on your desk by color or size.

If you feel as though you don’t have control of your thoughts or actions, we can help. You learn to manage your OCD so that you can focus on other thoughts and activities that bring you joy and success.

Do you have phobias?

A phobia is an irrational fear of certain situations or things that generally don’t bother other people. For instance, you may have a fear of heights or be terrified by spiders. Therapy can help you manage and overcome these fears.

Do you have nightmares or avoid certain activities?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) isn’t just something that affects combat veterans. Anyone who’s undergone extreme stress, including experiencing childhood abuse or witnessing a serious accident, may develop PTSD.

If you have PTSD, you may relive the trauma in nightmares or when you hear a sound or see something that reminds you of the traumatic event. You may avoid going to certain neighborhoods or engaging in activities that bring up those traumatic memories.

In addition to CBT and other talk therapies, you may respond to a novel therapy called eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is a fast and effective way to let go of the traumatic experience while retaining the memory.

Are you afraid of being tested or judged?

An anxiety disorder may cause you to overreact to situations that could reveal a weakness or deficiency. You may obsess over criticism you receive and interpret it as meaning that you’re inadequate in some way. You might skip classes or tests, which could affect your grades. 

Fear of criticism might also prevent you from speaking up in a meeting, giving a presentation, or making calls that could add to your success in your career.

Do you have physical symptoms?

If your anxiety leads to physical symptoms, that’s also a sign that you’d benefit from professional intervention. Symptoms could include panic attacks, excessive sweating, and trouble breathing.

Anxiety disorders respond well to psychotherapy, and our professional team can help you learn how to manage anxiety so you can enjoy your life again. Call us today at Happy Apple or book an appointment online.