Anxiety is defined by the American Psychological Association (APA) as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure.” It affects approximately 40 million Americans, or 18.1% of the population, making it the most commonly diagnosed mental illness in the country. Anxiety can be broken down into several more specific types, which include:

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) – affects 6.8 million adults or 3.1% of U.S. population
Panic disorder (PD) – affects 6 million adults or 2.7% of U.S. population
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) – affects 15 million adults or 6.8% of U.S. population
Specific phobias – affect 19 million adults or 8.7% of the U.S. population
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) – affects 2.2 million adults or 1% of the U.S. population
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – affects 7.7 million adults or 3.5% of the U.S. population

Many people who experience anxiety have more than one of the above, so some of those statistics overlap. However, it is easy to see how pervasive an issue like anxiety is – nearly 1 in 5 people struggle with it regularly. Anxiety disorders develop from a variety of compounding factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events.

At Aaaah…Wellness, we treat anxiety in all its forms, and we are confident we can find a course of treatment to help you too! We believe that no one should have to live with anxiety and understand that even taking the first step to speak with a doctor about it can be intimidating. Our staff and doctor are compassionate and very familiar with the symptoms of anxiety, which can include:

-Nervousness, restlessness, and feeling like you cannot relax
-Feelings of danger, panic, and dread
-Rapid heart rate and breathing or hyperventilation
-Increased or heavy sweating
-Muscle twitching or trembling
-Weakness or lethargy
-Difficulty focusing
-Insomnia
-Digestive problems
-Avoidant behavior
-Obsessions about certain ideas

You can rest easy knowing that your care is in the best hands at Aaaah…Wellness. We will carefully go over any symptoms you are experiencing, your medical history, and any other relevant factors such as life events and behaviors. After we’ve gone over this, your doctor can then suggest a plan for treatment. Sometimes this may need to be adjusted over time, but we are always here for you, and providing effective treatment is our utmost goal.

If you’d like to schedule an appointment to speak with a doctor about anxiety, please call our office at (480) 396-4400, and a friendly member of our staff will be happy to help