Anxiety - Summit Health

ANXIETY TREATMENT

Anxiety Treatment in Atlanta, GA

Everyone experiences occasional anxiety. However, people suffering from excessive worry and fear on a daily basis may suffer from an anxiety disorder. These disorders often revolve around repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear that reach a peak within minutes, known as panic attacks. Anxiety disorders can interfere with daily activities and be difficult to control, but are most often out of proportion to the actual danger. You may actively avoid places, people, or situations to prevent anxiety.

Fortunately, the field of mental health treatment is greatly advancing, and innovative new treatments are making it easier and easier to find a treatment that works for you. With the advent of Ketamine Infusion Therapy, people suffering from anxiety disorders are finding relief from their symptoms within hours of treatment, rather than the weeks that more traditional medications may take.

How Does Ketamine Help With Anxiety?

Suffering from excessive anxiety can be debilitating, undermining one’s ability to enjoy a healthy existence. But there is new hope for you at Summit Health! With Ketamine, an individual is able experience a euphoric detachment from their anxious thoughts and process their own mindset as a calm, objective, and optimistic observer. We successfully treat patients for anxiety disorders using safe, effective, individualized Ketamine infusions.

Examples of Anxiety Disorders

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – Characterized by chronic anxiety and exaggerated worry and tension, even if there is little or nothing to provoke it.
Panic Disorder – Characterized by unexpected, repeated episodes of intense fear. Usually accompanied by physical symptoms, including heart palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or abdominal distress.
Social Phobia/Social Anxiety Disorder – Characterized by overwhelming anxiety and self-consciousness in social settings. It can be limited to only one type of situation, such as a fear of public speaking, but can also be so proud that a person experiences symptoms anytime they are around other people.
Agoraphobia – Characterized by feeling fear in and avoiding places or situations that may cause you to panic, or feel helpless.Some may develop an anxiety disorder due to a medical condition that includes symptoms of intense anxiety, caused by a physical health problem.
Selective Mutism – Characterized by a failure of children to speak in some social situations, even when they can speak in others (such as at home with close family).
Separation Anxiety Disorder – A childhood disorder characterized by anxiety related to separation from parents or others who have parental roles.
Substance-Induced Anxiety Disorder – Characterized by symptoms of intense anxiety or panic that are a direct result of misusing drugs or taking medications.

What are the Different Types of Depression?

There are several different types of depressive disorders that are defined by the severity of the symptoms and how long they last. Certain lifestyle changes, such as having a baby, may also be used to determine which types of depression a person is experiencing.

Major Depressive Disorder – This type occurs when a person experiences symptoms that last longer than two weeks. The symptoms of depression may also be more severe than what a person with mild symptoms experiences. It is also common for this type to exist along with other forms of the condition.
Persistent Depressive Disorder – The signs of severe depression can occasionally come and go. However, a person with persistent depressive disorder finds that they have symptoms most days for two years or more. People with this type tend to need to explore every treatment possible to find one that works. Ketamine for depression is often recommended for people with persistent symptoms.
Postpartum Depression – Women who have recently had a baby can develop this type. It usually develops within the first few weeks after giving birth, but it can arise at any point during the first year.
Seasonal Affective Disorder – The reasons for this disorder are still not clear. However, some people find that they develop prolonged periods of low energy and a sad mood during certain times of the year. Typically, this is most noticeable during the fall and winter months.
Bipolar Disorder – With this disorder, people swing from having depressive symptoms to experiencing periods of mania. These cycles of mood swings can happen every few weeks, or multiple times a day.

Common anxiety signs and symptoms often include:

Feeling nervous, restless, or tense
A sense of impending danger or doom
An increased heart rate
Rapid breathing/hyperventilation
Sweating
Trembling
Feeling weak or tired
Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
Trouble sleeping
Gastrointestinal problems
Difficulty controlling worry
The urge to avoid things that may trigger anxiety

What Causes Anxiety?

What leads someone to develop an anxiety disorder is still not fully understood. Traumatic events or life experiences may trigger these disorders in people already prone to anxiety, but inherited traits can also be a factor.

For some people, their anxiety disorder may be linked to underlying health issues, but in other cases, anxiety symptoms can be the first indicators of a medical illness.

Examples of medical problems that can be linked to anxiety may include:

Heart disease
Diabetes
Thyroid problems (for example, hyperthyroidism)
Respiratory disorders, such as COPD or Asthma
Drug abuse or withdrawal
Withdrawal from alcohol, benzodiazepines, or other medications
Chronic pain
Irritable bowel syndrome

The following factors may increase your risk of developing an anxiety disorder:

Trauma – Children or adults who experience traumatic events can go on to develop anxiety disorders
Stress Due to Illness – A serious health condition can cause significant worry.
Personality – Some specific personality types are more prone to anxiety disorders.
Other Mental Health Disorders – Other disorders, such as depression, often go hand-in-hand with anxiety disorders.
Having Blood Relatives with an Anxiety Disorder – They often run in families.
Drug or Alcohol Abuse.

While there is still no way to prevent someone from developing an anxiety disorder, some steps can be taken to reduce the impact of symptoms.

Get Help Early – Anxiety disorders are like many other mental health conditions, in that it is harder to treat the longer you wait.
Stay Active – Enjoy activities and friendships that you enjoy or make you feel good about yourself.
Avoid Alcohol or Drug Use

How does Ketamine treatment for anxiety work?

Exactly how Ketamine treats anxiety disorders is still being researched. The current understanding is that Ketamine binds to receptors in the brain that increases the amount of a neurotransmitter, glutamate, that is released. This will then set off a chain of reactions within the brain that affects thinking and emotional regulation.

To put this in simpler terms, the brain reacts to Ketamine in a way that triggers hormones that help create more positive emotions. This can occur within just hours after a person receives their first infusion, but some people may need several treatments before they experience the highest level of benefits.

If you or a loved one is suffering from an anxiety disorder we invite you to reach out to us to learn more about this innovative new treatment for anxiety.

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