Anxiety

An estimated 40 million Americans live with chronic worry, intrusive thoughts, and other symptoms of an anxiety disorder. If you feel overwhelmed by anxiety, fear, or panic, you can find the compassionate care you deserve at Bright Side Mental Health Services. In addition to diagnostic anxiety screenings, Janenita Chukwu, APRN, PMHNP-BC, provides personalized care plans using psychotherapy and medications to make anxiety and panic disorders easier to manage. Call the office in Tacoma, Washington, to schedule an anxiety evaluation for yourself or your child, or book an appointment online today.

What is anxiety?

An anxiety disorder is a mental health condition that causes persistent worry or fear, even when no danger is present. Although some level of anxiety is a normal stress response, people with an anxiety disorder get stuck in fight-or-flight and experience overwhelming feelings of impending danger that affect their physical, mental, and emotional health.

There are several types of anxiety disorders that are common in adults and adolescents, including:

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

People with GAD experience persistent worry for six months or longer about everyday circumstances like finances, health, and relationships.

Panic disorder

A panic disorder causes sudden and intense episodes of fear (panic attacks) when there’s no threat to safety. A panic attack develops quickly and can last for several minutes. The intensity of an attack often makes a person fearful of another attack and can worsen anxiety and depression symptoms.

Phobia

A phobia is an extreme fear of objects or events that pose no actual danger. Common types of phobias include an intense fear of flying or being in crowded spaces.

Bright Side Mental Health Services specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety in adults and adolescents. Janenita offers comprehensive anxiety screenings to better understand your condition and customizes a care plan to relieve anxiety symptoms.

When should I schedule an anxiety consultation?

Schedule an anxiety consultation at Bright Side Mental Health Services for yourself or your child if anxiety or panic symptoms interfere with your routine or quality of life.

Anxiety symptoms can range from mild to debilitating and include:

• Persistent worry
• Intrusive thoughts
• Negative thought patterns
• Restlessness

Anxiety can also trigger physical symptoms like a racing heart, sweating, lightheadedness, and shortness of breath.

Janenita evaluates your symptoms and may order bloodwork or other diagnostic tests to rule out underlying medical conditions. She creates a treatment plan based on the severity of your symptoms and your individual health needs.

How is anxiety treated?

Psychotherapy is an effective treatment for managing anxiety symptoms. Janenita may recommend cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that helps you recognize unhealthy thoughts and behavior patterns when you feel anxious, so that you can make necessary changes.

Bright Side Mental Health Services also offers anti-anxiety medications that rebalance brain chemicals like serotonin to calm excessive worry and other anxiety symptoms.

Call Bright Side Mental Health Services to schedule an anxiety evaluation or book an appointment online today.