Anxiety Treatment in Los Angeles

Comprehensive Anxiety Treatment in Los Angeles

The first step toward seeking treatment for any mental health condition is accepting that there is a problem. However, recognizing the signs of a mental health condition is difficult when there is a lack of education on mental health literacy (MHL).

Moreover, signs of mental health conditions like anxiety disorders can be difficult to recognize because anxiety is something most people experience at some point. It can be easy to convince yourself that you are overreacting or making a mountain out of a molehill. Yet, anxiety disorders can come with subtle but intense symptoms that overwhelm your ability to function in your daily life.

Distressing anxiety symptoms from unaddressed anxiety disorders often lead to unhealthy coping strategies like substance use. Suppressing anxiety symptoms with substances can quickly lead to dependency. If you are struggling with anxiety and substance use disorder (SUD), recovery is possible with an effective treatment plan.

At Profound Treatment, we recognize that lasting recovery and well-being are built on holistic care that supports healing in mind, body, and spirit. With comprehensive, evidence-based treatment, you can find the support you need to heal in our Los Angeles anxiety treatment center.

Understanding Anxiety: Signs, Symptoms, and Types

Before seeking anxiety treatment in Los Angeles, learning more about the conditions you struggle with can be helpful. That includes understanding what anxiety is, the different types of anxiety disorders, and what the signs and symptoms are.

What Is Anxiety?

In general, anxiety is a feeling of irrational fear, dread, and uneasiness. Additionally, anxiety symptoms can manifest physically, such as sweating, restlessness, and shortness of breath. Anxiety is often seen as a negative emotion, but it can also be a normal stress response. For instance, feeling anxious about taking an exam at school, giving a presentation at work, or going on a first date is a normal reaction.

Feeling a little nervousness or anxiety can be beneficial in moderate amounts for:

• Increased alertness to recognize and avoid potential dangers
  • Knowing when to slam on the brakes when another car cuts you off
  • Paying attention when crossing a busy road
  • Staying vigilant when you are out at night
• Improve problem-solving skills
  • Greater focus on resolving issues
  • Finding resourceful ways to overcome obstacles that contribute to anxiety
• Increase motivation
  • It can motivate you to take action by studying for a test
  • Encourages you to achieve your goals

Anxiety is not an inherently negative emotion when experienced in healthy doses.

However, anxiety becomes unhealthy and even develops into anxiety disorders when your anxiety symptoms become excessive. An anxiety disorder occurs when you consistently experience anxiety that will not go away and worsens over time. Anxiety symptoms from anxiety disorders can interfere with day-to-day activities and your overall well-being. If left untreated, anxiety disorders can become so destructive that you require intense interventions.

Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety symptoms can vary depending on the type of anxiety disorder you have. Listed below are some of the most common signs and symptoms of anxiety disorders:

• Feeling restless, irritable, or tired
• Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
• Unexplained muscle and body aches and pains
• Pounding or rapid heartbeat
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Experiencing intense panic and dread
• Negative thought patterns
• Anxious thoughts or beliefs
• Uncontrollable and sometimes obsessive thoughts
• Trouble falling or staying asleep
• Experiencing intense stress and worry
• Avoidance behaviors
  • Avoiding everyday activities you used to do
  • Withdrawal from social situations

The physical and psychological symptoms of anxiety disorders are understandably distressing. However, understanding the different types of anxiety disorders can help you recognize how your anxiety has impaired your well-being. With greater self-awareness, you can work with our experienced clinicians to develop an effective treatment plan tailored to your unique needs.

Different Types of Anxiety Disorders

As mentioned, symptoms will vary depending on the anxiety disorder. There are several types of anxiety disorders. While some anxiety disorders, like generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), are more common than others, when left untreated, every type of anxiety disorder can impede well-being. Listed below are some of the different types of anxiety disorders people can experience:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): causes persistent feelings of anxiety and dread
  • You may feel constantly overwhelmed by excessive, irrational fear and unrealistic worry
    • Negative thought patterns that contribute to fear and worry over everyday things
      • Your health
      • Job responsibilities
      • Household chores
• Panic disorder: causes sudden and intense panic attacks, even when there is no clear danger
  • You may experience multiple panic attacks that occur without warning
  • There is no clear connection to another mental health or physical health condition
  • Panic disorder can co-occur with agoraphobia
• Social anxiety disorder: causes individuals to fear being watched or judged by others
  • Formally known as social phobia
• Agoraphobia: an intense fear of feeling panicked, trapped, helpless, or embarrassed outside
  • A type of specific phobia with its own diagnosis
    • It is distinct from other specific phobias that typically fall under the same category
  • You may avoid new places, unfamiliar social situations, or places and situations associated with causing feelings of fear, panic attacks, entrapment, helplessness, or embarrassment
    • Can include large, open areas or enclosed spaces, being in crowds,  public transportation, or being outside of your home alone
• Phobia-related disorders: describe intense fears of specific objects or social situations
  • Your fear or anxiety is so overwhelming that it disrupts your life
  • There are hundreds of phobias, which are typically diagnosed under the classification of specific phobia
  • Can include fear of heights, flying, blood, needles, enclosed spaces, and specific animals like spiders, snakes, birds, or dogs
• Separation anxiety disorder: excessive feelings of anxiety when one is separated from a loved one
  • Typically associated with a normal stage of development for babies and toddlers
    • Babies and toddlers with healthy attachment initially experience anxiety when separated from their caregiver
  • Separation anxiety disorder can occur in children, adolescents, and adults
    • Excessive fear or worry that causes significant distress and or impairment
      • Unable to function in social situations, in school settings, or in workplace settings
      • Avoidance of independent activities
• Selective mutism: irrational fear or anxiety that prevents you from talking in certain social situations
  • Typically affects young children, but can also occur in adolescents and adults
  • Inability to speak in certain social situations
    • At school, in groups, or in front of strangers
  • You may have used nonverbal communication tools instead
    • Hand gestures, facial expressions, or writing  

There are also mental health conditions that share anxiety features, but are not classified as an anxiety disorder. For example, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) was previously classified as an anxiety disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) because of its similar anxiety symptoms. Today, conditions like OCD are classified under obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. In addition to OCD, mental health conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD) share anxiety as a core feature.

How Anxiety Affects Mental Health and Daily Life

The symptoms of anxiety disorders make functioning day-to-day difficult and even impossible in the most severe cases. In addition to mental and emotional distress, anxiety symptoms have an impact on cognitive function, physical health, and behavior. It can feel impossible to concentrate, recall things, and even make decisions because you feel overwhelmed and out of control.

The physical and mental health symptoms of anxiety disorders lead to avoidance, social withdrawal, and isolation. These behavioral changes impede wellness as you become more disconnected from loved ones, yourself, and the world. Further, anxiety symptoms can worsen or lead to other mental health conditions, including mood disorders like depression, which makes daily functioning even more challenging.

The Connection Between Anxiety, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse

Anxiety symptoms can cause or be a cause of other co-occurring mental health conditions. Untreated anxiety or co-occurring disorders can lead to self-medicating with drugs and alcohol to suppress or alleviate distressing psychological symptoms. Substance use is an unhealthy form of coping that leads to addiction and even worsens or triggers more mental health disorders. Therefore, long-term substance abuse can contribute to the development of anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and other conditions. The development of co-occurring disorders requires a dual diagnosis treatment program to address your unique needs for lasting recovery.

Evidence-Based Therapies for Anxiety Treatment at Profound in Los Angeles

Many evidence-based modalities can help those requiring anxiety treatment. Some common evidence-based therapies and modalities for anxiety treatment and conditions with core anxiety features include:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Trauma therapy
• Psychodynamic therapy
• Somatic experiencing therapy
• Art and music therapy
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
• Exposure therapy
• Medication-assisted treatment (MAT)
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy

Behavioral and cognitive therapy modalities, such as CBT and DBT, can help individuals manage their emotions, behaviors, and thinking patterns. People learn to identify and challenge negative thought patterns and accept emotions while improving behaviors. Additionally, at our LA anxiety treatment center in California, you can find effective treatment interventions to support mental wellness and improve your quality of life.

Psychotherapy for Anxiety

Modalities like art therapy and music therapy are just a few of the treatment programs we use at Profound Treatment to support your unique needs for long-term wellness. In addition to evidence-based modalities, psychiatry sessions are shown to be exceptionally effective in treating anxiety disorders. Whether individual, group, or family therapy, psychiatry sessions can provide the chance to:

• Explore beliefs, feelings, and behaviors
• Address challenging memories and experiences
• Increase self-awareness and understanding
• Create a plan to achieve your desired changes
• Understand the impact of psychological trauma
• Process childhood trauma and learn to manage stress

Psychotherapy has evolved to support a wide range of clients, from in-person to online therapy sessions, to meet each client’s unique needs. With our anxiety treatment in Los Angeles, California, you can find the comprehensive inpatient care you need to heal in mind, body, and spirit.

Holistic Approaches to Anxiety Treatment

Along with these evidence-based modalities, holistic practices can also help with anxiety treatment. Mindfulness practices help clients stay in the present moment, observe and detach from negative thoughts, and reduce the intensity of their anxiety symptoms. Effective treatment with holistic practices may include meditation, yoga, breathwork, and other mindfulness-based techniques. These holistic practices aim to help reduce anxiety symptoms by treating you as a whole person at Profound.

Residential Treatment Programs for Anxiety in Los Angeles, California

Anxiety treatment sometimes requires a more intense treatment program, especially when addiction is involved. If you are experiencing severe anxiety symptoms, co-occurring SUD, and or co-occurring mental health conditions, a residential treatment program may be right for you. Some of the benefits of anxiety treatment in a residential treatment program include:

• Around-the-clock care and support
• Comprehensive, individualized treatment plans
• Safe and comfortable spaces to focus on treatment and wellness
• Consistent peer support and community
• Aftercare planning and sober living options

Additionally, choosing our residential LA anxiety treatment center offers dual diagnosis to help treat your anxiety symptoms and SUD simultaneously.

Outpatient and Intensive Outpatient Programs for Anxiety in Los Angeles

Whether you are looking for a residential program or not, an outpatient or intensive outpatient program (IOP) can be invaluable to continuing care. Following your residential treatment program, our expert staff can help connect you to resources and referrals for outpatient or IOP through aftercare planning. Understanding the treatment services in outpatient or IOP showcases the value of a continuum of care on your recovery journey.

Some of the benefits of outpatient programs and IOPs include:

• Flexibility to continue living your daily life while getting treatment
• More cost-effective than some inpatient programs
• Wide and quicker access to a high level of care
• Opportunities to keep working and care for a family while getting better
• Comprehensive treatment that helps with anxiety while teaching other essential life skills

Much like your experiences are unique to you, your treatment program should be tailored to your unique needs, too. At Profound Treatment, we are committed to helping you find the treatment program that will help you learn, grow, and thrive in your daily life.

Tips and Tricks for Managing Anxiety Symptoms

To live and function with an anxiety disorder, you must also learn tools and techniques to help manage and reduce your symptoms. Time in treatment can teach clients effective coping strategies and tools, such as:

• Getting enough quality sleep
• Eating nutritious food
• Regular exercise
• Breathwork and meditation
• Hobbies and enjoyable activities
• Spending time with friends and family

Specialized Anxiety Treatment for Specific Populations

Profound Treatment focuses on offering anxiety treatment to a range of specific and underserved populations, including programs for:

• The LGBTQ+ Community
• Transgender individuals
• Working professionals
  • Lawyers
  • Accountants
  • Real estate agents
  • Pilots
  • CEOs
  • IT technicians
  • Professional athletes
  • Healthcare professionals
• Law enforcement and first responders

Begin Your Healing Journey: Anxiety Treatment at Profound Treatment in Los Angeles

Anxiety treatment at Profound is open to all because everyone deserves the chance to heal. We hope you will take the first step toward compassionate, professional anxiety treatment today. With a supportive community of clinicians and peers, you can find a safe, nurturing, healing environment to recover from addiction, improve your mental health, and learn to manage your anxiety long-term. Call or visit our website to make a profound change in your life and start your recovery journey today.

Everyone experiences anxiety from time to time, but for some people, anxiety becomes so debilitating that it impairs functioning. Feeling overwhelmed by your anxiety is often tied to an anxiety disorder, which can include conditions like generalized anxiety, social anxiety, phobia-related disorders, and panic disorder. Untreated anxiety can lead you to self-medicate with substances to cope with your symptoms, but this can quickly lead to dependence. Thus, seeking dual diagnosis anxiety treatment in Los Angeles can support recovery from both conditions simultaneously. At Profound Treatment, we nurture a safe, healing environment for people of all communities struggling with anxiety, mental health, and substance use. Call us at (833) 737-3422 to learn more and begin your tailored treatment program today.