Anxiety Treatment in Florida: Reclaim the Life Anxiety Has Taken From You

Being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder is more than just feeling stressed or nervous. It means your nervous system stays in a heightened state of arousal long after a threat is gone. It causes you to be fearful, to avoid things, and to experience physical symptoms that can make living each day incredibly exhausting and unpredictable. It can also cause you to decline opportunities, withdraw from friends and family members, and carry a burden that other people may never even know exists.
What having an anxiety disorder does not mean is that there is no hope. Anxiety disorders are the most treatable type of mental health condition, and with the proper treatment plan, professional help, and your commitment to recovery, relief is possible. Here at Agape Behavioral Health in Florida, these resources are available to you.

Anxiety disorders are a family of mental health conditions that have one defining characteristic: excessive fear or worry that is persistent, excessive, and unreasonable given the situation.[1] As opposed to normal stressors, which are typically temporary and situational in nature, anxiety disorders are chronic hyperarousal states of the body’s “fight-or-flight” response system that don’t resolve on their own and have a considerable impact on one’s daily routines, interpersonal relationships, and overall level of functioning.

Over 31% of Americans experience an anxiety disorder, making them among the most prevalent mental health conditions in the United States.[2] Unfortunately, because many cases of anxiety disorders remain under-diagnosed and under-treated for several years, many individuals experiencing symptoms manage those symptoms as best they can without ever receiving the evidence-based support that would allow them to achieve real, sustainable recovery.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is not a single condition, and there are many types of anxiety, each with their own presentation and treatment. Below are some of the most common we see at Agape Behavioral Health:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Chronic, wide-ranging, and excessive worry about many areas in a person’s day-to-day life. These worries are difficult to control, and they create various physical discomforts, such as muscle tension, exhaustion, and disrupted sleep.
• Panic Disorder: Repeated episodes of acute panic attacks. Many with this disorder also experience anticipatory fear of future panic attacks and, consequently, alter their behavior to avoid them.
• Social Anxiety Disorder: Characterized by intense fear of social situations and negative evaluation that leads to significant avoidance, such as avoiding parties, group gatherings, work meetings, and any number of additional social settings as a way to minimize exposure to potential criticism from others.
• Specific Phobia: An irrational fear of a specific thing, object, or situation that triggers immediate anxiety and leads to avoidant behavior.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Characterized by intrusive obsessive thoughts that cause distress and compulsions to engage in repetitive behaviors or routines as a way to momentarily alleviate that distress.

Substance use disorders (SUD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and mood disorders commonly co-occur with anxiety. Many times, SUD develops secondary to unaddressed or untreated anxiety, as substance use becomes a form of self-medicating.

Anxiety disorders present differently depending on the specific disorder and the person managing it. But common symptoms across all anxiety disorders include:

Psychological symptoms:

• Excessive worry, fear, or unease that is difficult to control
• Anticipatory dread about potential future events or situations
• Racing thoughts, unable to focus or concentrate
• Heightened awareness and sense of impending danger
• Avoidance of situations, places, or activities
• Obsessive thoughts and intrusions (OCD)

Physical symptoms:

• Rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath
• Muscle tension and restlessness
• Perspiration, trembling, and dizziness
• Gastrointestinal discomfort
• Fatigue and sleep disruption
• Chest tightness and sensation of choking (especially during panic attacks)

The physical symptoms associated with anxiety are very real and can be debilitating, which is one reason anxiety disorders are so often misunderstood or viewed as simply a psychological issue. Anxiety disorders are a whole-body experience, and successful treatment must address the entire body.

There is no single cause for developing an anxiety disorder. Anxiety develops through the interaction of multiple biological, psychological, and environmental variables that are different for each person.

• Biological factors including genetic predisposition and neurobiological differences in the brain’s fear circuitry and stress response systems.[3] Imbalances in the serotonin, norepinephrine, and GABA systems are also documented to influence anxiety disorders.[4]
• Psychological risk factors include learned patterns of worry and avoidance, cognitive styles that result in exaggerated perception of threat and reduced perception of coping ability.[5] Past experiences can also shape someone’s beliefs about their own safety and coping ability.
• Environmental risk factors play a part as well and include significant stressors such as trauma, childhood adversity, and prolonged exposure to unpredictable or threatening situations.[6] Substance abuse and withdrawal may also trigger or worsen anxiety symptoms.[7]

Identifying the various contributing factors to an individual’s anxiety helps when developing an effective and tailored treatment plan, which is why Agape’s clinical assessment process is thorough and individualized rather than diagnostic and generic.

Most people with anxiety disorders attribute their symptoms to “who they are” or assume their symptoms are minor and not worth seeking assistance for. Although understandable and very common, this delay in receiving proper care comes at a real cost.

It is time to get professional assistance when your anxiety:

• Affects you nearly every day and you find it difficult or impossible to manage or control
• Results in avoidance of situations, relationships, or opportunities that would otherwise be meaningful to you
• Leads to physical symptoms that affect health or functioning
• Interferes with employment, education, or important relationships
• Causes you to use alcohol, substances, or avoidance behaviors to manage it
• Has resulted in depression or a mood disorder
• Has caused someone close to you to become concerned about your overall well-being

Anxiety disorders generally do not improve independently of treatment; they typically worsen without it. Early intervention leads to improved outcomes and prevents the subsequent consequences — substance abuse, depression, social withdrawal — that can develop if anxiety goes untreated.

At Agape, we recognize that there is no single model for treating anxiety. That is why every client’s treatment plan is developed based on their type of anxiety, the degree to which it interferes with daily functioning, their personal history, and current mental health status. The comprehensive clinical assessment also allows us to adjust the focus and intensity of treatment as needed. 

One of the most researched and evidence-based forms of psychotherapy for treating anxiety is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).[8] Through CBT, clients become aware of how their distorted thinking patterns and avoidances contribute to maintaining their anxiety, and learn new ways to cope with those thoughts and behaviors.

A form of CBT where clients gradually confront feared stimuli, often under the direct guidance of their therapist, is exposure therapy. Exposure can be very helpful for individuals struggling with phobias, panic attacks, and social anxiety.