Alter Mental Health Can Help
If anxious thoughts are taking over your life, Alter Mental Health can help you regain control of your mental health through generalized anxiety disorder treatment in San Diego. We provide comprehensive anxiety treatment in San Diego with a combination of evidence-based treatment, medication management, and holistic services. Individualized treatment plans begin with a thorough evaluation of your mental and physical health to understand the root causes of your anxiety. Our crisis stabilization unit in San Diego contains fewer than 16 beds, ensuring clients are comfortable, safe, and receive premier care. While in treatment, we can help establish a solid foundation in your mental health through effective coping techniques and creating a plan for future long-term treatment for anxiety.
What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a mental health disorder characterized by excessive, uncontrollable, and often irrational worry. Healthcare providers will diagnose someone with GAD when their worrying happens most days of the week, is uncontrollable, and lasts for at least 6 months. Individuals with GAD can feel overwhelmed and consumed by every day matters most people deal with, such as family, health, finances, work, school, or relationships. However, most people can control their anxiety regarding these issues, those with GAD cannot stop focusing on these everyday issues and will often fear the worst outcomes. Sometimes, people may not be worrying about anything but experience a general sense of anxiety, dread, or that something bad is about to happen.
Generalized anxiety disorder can interfere with quality of life, affecting relationships and the ability to carry out everyday tasks, including work or school. The person lives in a constant state of stress, which is detrimental mentally and can lead to various physical health issues such as digestive issues, aches, pains, fatigue, insomnia, lowered immune system, and cardiovascular issues. GAD disorder treatment in San Diego can help individuals gain control of their worry through therapy, coping skills, and medications which can ease all associated symptoms.
Who Is at Risk of Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
The causes of generalized anxiety disorder are not fully understood. A combination of several factors including genetics, brain chemistry, life experiences, social influence, and family background likely causes it. Life experiences such as traumatic events seem to trigger an anxiety disorder in people who were already prone to anxiety or have a family history of it. There are also underlying medical causes such as heart disease, diabetes, thyroid problems, and rare tumors which can cause symptoms similar to generalized anxiety disorder.
Anyone can develop generalized anxiety disorder; however, women are twice as likely as men to develop it. Also, while it can appear at any age, it will most likely begin between childhood and adulthood. The following factors increase the risk of developing generalized anxiety disorder:
- Stress due to an illness: Serious illnesses or health conditions can cause significant worry about issues such as treatment and your future. Individuals can continue living in fear after getting treated if similar symptoms are signs their illness is returning.
- Trauma: Children who experienced or witnessed traumatic events are at higher risk of developing an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. Adults who experience a traumatic event such as an accident, sexual assault, war, or a natural disaster can also develop GAD.
- Constant stress: A big event or a buildup of smaller stressful life situations may trigger GAD. For example, the death of a loved one, work stress, or ongoing worry about finances.
- Family members with an anxiety disorder: Anxiety disorders can run in families and individuals with close blood relatives who have anxiety are more likely to develop GAD after a stressful or traumatic experience. There is also evidence that points to anxiety being learned, meaning individuals who grew up with a caregiver who demonstrated anxious behavior may mirror that same behavior.
- Personality: Research shows that certain personalities, such as individuals with high emotional reactivity (high neuroticism) and introverted tendencies (low extroversion), are more likely to develop anxiety disorders.
- The presence of other mental health disorders: Other mental health disorders, such as depression, social anxiety, panic disorder, personality disorders, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, can also have generalized anxiety disorder.
- Substance use: Drug and alcohol use or misuse or withdrawal can trigger or worsen anxiety. Substance use can affect the same areas of the brain and neurotransmitters which are associated with generalized anxiety disorder. Sometimes, individuals may use drugs or alcohol to self-medicate anxiety symptoms, only worsening their symptoms.
What Are the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms?
Every person will experience generalized anxiety disorder symptoms differently, but most people experience a combination of emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms which can fluctuate, worsening during stressful times. Often, individuals can experience other anxiety or mood disorders simultaneously, such as depression, panic disorders, social anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms can develop gradually and range from mild to severe. Anxiety treatment in San Diego can help alleviate many of these symptoms and help individuals handle everyday stress or worry much more easily.
The most common physical and mental generalized anxiety disorder symptoms include:
- Persistent and excessive anxiety and worry about various topics, events, or activities
- Inability to control the worry
- Perceiving situations as more threatening than they are
- Overthinking plans and solutions, including overplanning
- Constantly expecting worst-case scenarios
- Indecisiveness and fear of making the wrong decision
- Difficulty concentrating, or feeling that mind often “goes blank”
- Difficulty handling uncertainty
- Being on high alert
- Irritability, nervousness, and difficulty relaxing
- Emotional outbursts
- Fatigue and exhaustion
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep, restlessness at night, or unsatisfying sleep
- Muscle tension
- Twitching or trembling
- Sweating, including sweaty palms
- Feeling shaky or weak
- Rapid heartbeat and increased blood pressure
- Dry mouth
- Easily startled
- Neurological symptoms, such as numbness or tingling in different areas of the body
- Gastrointestinal issues, such as stomachaches and diarrhea
What to Expect from Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatment in San Diego
GAD affects each person differently and generalized anxiety disorder treatment in San Diego will be unique to each person. A combination of psychotherapy, medication, and holistic treatments is usually the best course of treatment. GAD anxiety treatment in San Diego will include various forms of behavioral treatment and psychotherapy options, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy. Treatment options can also include peer support and psychoeducational groups.
GAD disorder treatment in San Diego will aim to uncover and treat the underlying causes of anxiety. Therapists will work one-on-one with you to discuss your symptoms and various areas of your life that have contributed to developing the anxiety disorder. Therapy can provide the tools and skills to manage worry, emotional regulation, and ways to calm yourself down.
How to Get Ready for Anxiety Treatment in San Diego
When anxiety becomes overpowering and causes distress, it may be time to seek anxiety treatment in San Diego. Taking a break from the real world to enter an inpatient anxiety disorder clinic in San Diego can provide you with the 24-hour monitoring and treatment needed to regain control of your mental health. While entering a crisis stabilization unit can be frightening, admitting yourself to one can provide the care and comfort needed to reset.
Alter Mental Health offers short-term mental health treatment as an alternative to inpatient hospitalization. Unlike many hospitals’ sterile, cold environments, our facility is calm and inviting. Mentally, you should prepare yourself by seeing this as a great opportunity to improve and a starting point toward long-term recovery. While we cannot cure your generalized anxiety disorder, we can provide a solid foundation for longer treatment options. You should pack three to four days of comfortable clothing, sleepwear, underwear and socks, non-laced shoes and slippers, a sweater or sweatshirt, any medical devices, and current medications.
Call Alter Mental Health and Get Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatment in San Diego
If you are struggling with anxiety symptoms, getting help is now. Symptoms can quickly get worse and even lead to a mental health crisis. Generalized anxiety disorder treatment in San Diego is available through Alter Mental Health. Comprehensive treatment plans begin with a thorough physical and mental evaluation to correctly diagnose each person and provide the right treatment options. Our holistic mental health treatment programs will address generalized anxiety disorder’s body, mind, and spirit aspects to quickly stabilize you and set you on the right path toward long-term recovery.
Alter Mental Health provides a comfortable, private setting for resetting your mental health. Clinicians will monitor clients 24 hours a day and create individualized treatment plans made up of evidence-based therapies, medication management, and holistic practices. GAD anxiety treatment in San Diego can help you control anxious and worrisome thoughts so they no longer control your everyday life.
Please call us today at 657-218-5095 to speak to one of our assessment counselors who can answer any questions you may have or quickly get you admitted in the event of a crisis. Our helpline is available 24/7.
