Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Although widely accepted as the most common mental illness in the U.S. affecting 18% of the population (40 million adults) (NIMH, 2016) (Kessler, Chiu, Demler, & Walters, 2005) and one of the most physically and financially costly ($65 billion annually in the US in 1994) (Rice, 1999), Anxiety Disorders are frequently bundled and treated under the “General Mental Health” classification with substance abuse or depression while specialized, targeted anxiety treatments are considered gratuitous. While conceding that co-morbidity with other disorders is both high and challenging to demarcate cause from effect, almost $23 billion of the costs noted above are associated with the repeated use of health care services as people with anxiety disorders seek relief for symptoms that mimic physical illnesses (Rice, 1999; The HSM Group, 2012), instead of receiving targeted, evidence-based treatment for the actual cause: an anxiety disorder. The Anxiety Center strives to teach clients to accept anxiety, choose to move beyond it and take action using evidence-based treatment options.
Anxiety disorders happen when excessive anxiety interferes with everyday activities such as going to work or school or spending time with friends or family. Anxiety disorders are serious mental illnesses affecting more than 40 million Americans (18% of the adult population). That would mean that approximately 234,000 individuals are struggling with a diagnosable anxiety disorder within an hour drive of The Anxiety Center at Renew Counseling. (According to the US Census Reporter approximately 1.3 million adults (18-64) live in the KC metropolitan.) Research has also discovered that anxiety disorders are more than twice as common in women (who make up 51% of the local population) than men. Sadly, regardless of gender, the Healthcare Foundation of Greater Kansas City found that 41% of anxiety disorders go untreated (The HSM Group, 2012).
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Overall feelings of anxiety and worry throughout the day in a variety of situations. These thoughts and feelings create a cycle of constant and uncontrollable anxiety, worry and fear.
Do you:
Feel overly and uncontrollably worried
Become easily tired, fatigued, irritable or unable to concentrate
Constantly feel stuck, worthless, or depressed
Have these feelings/actions caused impairment in your daily life?
Panic Disorder
Unplanned, unexpected and fearful panic attacks that can occur both situationally or out of nowhere.
Do you:
Find yourself suddenly intensely but unknowingly fearful and begin sweating, shaking, unable to breath, feeling dizzy and/or numb
Begin avoiding certain people or places for fear of another attack
Constantly feel stuck, worthless, or depressed
Have these feelings/actions caused impairment in your daily life?
Social Anxiety Disorder
Fear and avoidance of social situations in which the individual perceives the possibility of being judged or criticized.
Do you:
Fear being judged or noticed in social situations in an unreasonable way
Find yourself suddenly intensely but unknowingly fearful and begin sweating, shaking, unable to breath, feeling dizzy and/or numb
Begin avoiding certain people or places for fear of another attack
Constantly feel stuck, worthless, or depressed
Have these feelings/actions caused impairment in your daily life?
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
For an individual who has been exposed/or been closely involved with someone exposed to actual or threatened death, PTSD invades a person's thoughts and security in a way that could create a heightened state vigilance, a confusion of actual reality, and isolation.
Have you:
Been involved in any way in a life threatening event
Re-experienced that event in ways that it feels that its happening again or has caused strong pain and anxiety
Avoided, detached or erased all situations related to the event
Been unable to sleep or irritable
Have these feelings/actions caused impairment in your daily life?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Continuous or recurrent thoughts (obsessions) or behaviors (compulsions) that in individual uses to replace feelings of fear and anxiety. Obsessions and compulsions can include repetitive handwashing, constant need for order, and can sometimes manifest themselves as having specific "tics."
Do you:
Overly worry about certain thoughts, actions, or events
Feel constantly fearful in the absence of a repeated thought or action
Constantly feel stuck, worthless, or depressed
Have these feelings/actions caused impairment in your daily life?
Specific Phobia
A strong fear and anxiety that coincides with the actual presence of a triggered situation or object. Specific phobias can include fear of flying, certain animals, or needles.
Do you:
Find yourself afraid in moments where you feel helpless or unable to leave that leaves you breathless
Have a continuous fear of blood, heights, flying...
Have these feelings/actions caused impairment in your daily life?
Agoraphobia
When the fear of being placed in social situations is so extreme, some individuals become agoraphobic-meaning one has become extremely fearful and unsafe around groups of people.
Do you:
Find yourself fearful in any situation involving crowds or social situations in which you feel sweaty, shaky, breathless
Avoid leaving your home or specific places for fear of something bad happening if you do.
Have these feelings/actions caused impairment in your daily life?