Most people feel anxious occasionally, which is a normal part of life. However, people with anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive, persistent worry and fear about daily situations. The disorder often involves repeated episodes of sudden intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within a short period, causing panic attacks.
These feelings are unhealthy and interfere with your daily activities, preventing you from functioning normally. Anxiety disorder symptoms often start during childhood or teen years and continue into adulthood.
Symptoms of Anxiety
Common symptoms and signs of an anxious person include the following:
- Nervousness, restlessness, and tensed
- A sensation of impending danger, panic, or doom
- Increased heart rate
- Excessive sweating and trembling
- Rapid breathing or hyperventilation
- Weakness or tiredness
- Trouble concentrating on other activities except for the present worry
- Sleeplessness
- Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems
- Difficulty in controlling worry
- Urging to avoid things that trigger worry
Risk Factors When You Develop Anxiety Disorder
The following factors might increase your risk of developing an anxiety disorder:
Stress build-up: Often a big event or a build-up of smaller stressful life situations, such as a death in the family, work stress, or ongoing worry about finances, might trigger excessive anxiety.
Trauma: Children enduring abuse or trauma or witnessing traumatic events are at higher risk of developing an anxiety disorder at some point in their life. Even adults experiencing traumatic experiences also develop anxiety disorders.
Stress due to an illness: A health condition or serious illness causes significant worry about issues such as treatment or the future.
Drugs or alcohol: Drug or alcohol misuse or withdrawal can cause and even worsens anxiety.
Other psychological problems: People with psychological health disorders, such as depression, often experience an anxiety disorder.
Diagnosis of Anxiety Disorder
Wondering which kind of support your child needs?
Our team in Brampton & Mississauga includes SLPs, OTs, ABA therapists, and psychologists — so we can guide you to the right starting point.
Start with your family doctor, who can check for any underlying medical condition that might be contributing to your anxiety. If anxiety is severe or does not ease, they may refer you to a mental health professional.
In Ontario, psychologists and psychiatrists (medical doctors who specialize in mental health) can diagnose anxiety disorders. Psychotherapy, sometimes called talk therapy, can be provided by registered psychotherapists, psychologists and other regulated clinicians. Anxiety disorders often occur along with other conditions, such as depression or substance misuse, which can make diagnosis more complex.
Treatment
Psychotherapy and medications are the primary treatments for anxiety treatments. You might receive benefits from a combination of the two. However, determining the best treatment might require some trial and error.
Psychotherapy
Often referred to as talk therapy or psychological counseling, it involves working with your therapists to reduce anxiety symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for anxiety. As a short-term treatment, CBT focuses on teaching you specific skills to improve your symptoms, building confidence, and returning you to your daily activities.
Why Choose Kick Start Therapy?
When anxiety affects relationships, work performance, and other areas of life, there’s a potential that these feelings indicate severe problems. At Kick Start Therapy, our registered psychotherapists offer support and care for children and adults living with anxiety. They develop effective strategies to support the development and improve your psychological conditions. Our professionals offer one-on-one therapy targeted to improve your requirements.
Need expert guidance? Get in touch with KickStart Therapy in Brampton or Mississauga to discuss your child’s needs.
Looking for support with your child's wellbeing? Call 905-792-1626 to speak with our team.