Anxiety

A beautiful image of a brain consisting of golden flower petals

  • We all experience fear or worry at different times in life. Worrying can be a normal, healthy reaction to stressful situations. A feeling of unease or worry helps us recognize a problem and make changes that will resolve the issue.

    Anxiety disorders are more complex than simply worrying too much. Patients may find that everyday situations cause intense worry and fear that can leave people feeling frozen or intense distress. It impacts their ability to do everyday tasks. Some patients find their concentration is impacted, they become more irritable and experience mood changes. In some cases, patients can experience physical symptoms, such as going to the bathroom too much, nausea and even chest tightness and palpitations.

    These symptoms can be triggered by different situations. For some patients, it is social situations. For others, it may be the thought of leaving friends and family. In many cases, there is no specific cause or trigger.

    It is estimated that as many as 10% of the population will experience a mood or anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.

  • In addition to a sense of intense worry or apprehensive expectation, happening more days than not, you may have an anxiety disorder if you experience:

    - Restlessness, feeling tense or “on edge”

    - Tiredness

    - Difficulty concentrating or the feeling of one’s mind going blank

    - Irritability

    - Muscular tension

    - Sleep disturbance

    - Circular thinking, worries going “round and round” in our heads, even if we believe we already have a plan

    - Feeling irritable or tense

  • Working with a doctor who has experience and expertise in treating anxiety is the best start.

    There are many medical causes for these symptoms and it is important to see a doctor who can complete a medical evaluation to rule out another medical condition, which can be treated. When other causes have been excluded, an experienced psychiatrist can help work with you to make a personalized, focused treatment plan to address these debilitating symptoms and help you to move forward with life.

    If these symptoms are impacting you and your life, or if you would like to learn more, schedule an appointment with Dr Kennedy today.

    Click here to schedule and take the first step in treatment.

  • The National Institute of Mental Health has provided a patient information guide to Anxiety disorders. Click here to download this guide, free of charge, direct from their website.

    (Dr. Nigel I. Kennedy MD PhD is not responsible for the content of external websites)

As a specialist psychiatrist, Dr. Kennedy has extensive clinical experience in treating anxiety and panic disorders. Treatment commonly involves medication management to treat the symptoms of anxiety and psychotherapy to identify and treat any underlying psychological issues that may be contributing to symptoms. The first session is an extensive evaluation to confirm the diagnosis and to explore options for treatment. Click here to arrange a brief courtesy call or to schedule an appointment.