You can better understand the nature of anxiety by looking both at what it is and what it is not. Anxiety should be distinguished from worries about everyday life events. Worry is usually directed toward something concrete, such as failing an exam, not meeting a deadline, being rejected by someone, or losing a job.
Some people feel anxious much of the time. They often can’t specify what it is they are anxious about or fearful of. The focus of anxiety is more internal than external. It seems to be a response to an unclear threat, which leads to feeling that “something bad is going to happen” and that “I am going to lose control of myself or some situation”. These feelings of more intense fear such as apprehension, foreboding, and hyper-vigilance may interfere with the ability of the person to cope with social situations, publicly speaking, searching for a job, going to school, and other important tasks of daily life.
Anxiety affects your whole being. It is a physiological, behavioral, and psychological reaction all at once. The person may experience all or some of the following symptoms:
- shortness of breath
- dry mouth
- heart palpitation (rapid or irregular heartbeat)
- trembling or shaking
- sweating
- chocking sensation
- nausea and abdominal distress
- dizziness or unsteadiness
- hot flash or chill
- A person may feel apprehensive and overwhelmed, and may experience fear of dying, “going crazy”, or out of control.
If the anxiety experienced is debilitating in essential areas of your life; for example, if you are unable to perform your job, leave your home by yourself or participate effectively in clinical behavioral therapy, then evaluation by a psychiatrist (MD) and medication should be indicated. Medication can serve as an important adjunct to behavioral treatment. Medication can be gradually decreased or tapered off entirely as you learn to apply effective coping skills to reduce and control your anxiety. A physical examination and a blood test by a primary care physician, internist or family practitioner are recommended to rule-out the possibility of a medical condition that is contributing to these anxious feelings.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most effective type of therapy for learning to cope with anxiety. Cognitive strategies are used to restructure problematic thinking patterns that often contribute to anxiety and self-defeating behavior. Behavioral strategies, such as systematic desensitization, graded flooding, extinction and relaxation techniques are used to teach the person to manage their anxiety and control their physiological symptoms.
Dr. Ilani treats the following types of anxiety:
- Panic Disorder
- Social Phobia
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Phobia/Fears
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Acute Stress Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Anxiety Disorder due to General Medical Condition
- Agorophobia
