Anxiety is the most common mental health problem in the United States with more than 19 million people suffering from this condition. It can occur even when there is no obvious situation to cause anxiety. Some people confuse anxiety and fear. Fear is purely emotional response to an immediate threat whereas anxiety fight or flight reaction. It becomes a problem when it interferes with day-to-day life.

These are some of the symptoms that people with anxiety have but they are not exclusive to it: excessive sweating, increased heart rate or blood pressure, restlessness, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, irritability, muscle tension, headaches, difficulty concentrating, fear of death and unrealistic view of problems.

To overcome anxiety, it is essential that you have a commitment to change. At Kryskay Psychiatry, we can help you identify the nature of your anxiety in its severity. We will design a personalized treatment plan, that will produce results, and best meet your needs.

Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings are usually fleeting and pass within a couple of days. When a person has a depressive disorder, it interferes with daily life and normal functioning and causes pain for both the person with the disorder and those who care about them. Depression is a common but serious illness, and most who have it need treatment to get better. Depression is a treatable illness.

Depression affects both men and women, but more women than men are likely to be diagnosed with depression in any given year. Efforts to explain this difference are ongoing, as researchers explore certain factors (biological, social, etc.) that are unique to women. Many women with a depressive illness never seek treatment. But the vast majority, even those with the most severe depression, can get better with treatment.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder:  GAD is characterized by persistent, excessive, and unrealistic worry about everyday things, even when there is no apparent reason for concern. Possible causes may be due to financial, health, family, work, or disaster issues. GAD is diagnosed when a person worries excessively for at least 6 months.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: OCD patients suffer from unwanted and intrusive thoughts that they can’t seem to get out of their heads (obsessions), often compelling them to repeatedly perform ritualistic behaviors and routines (compulsions) to try to ease their anxiety. This may include excessive worries about dirt, germs, excessive hand washing, checking things over and over, having to do things “just right,” or repeating actions over and over until they “get it just right.”

Panic Disorder & Agoraphobia: PD is diagnosed in people who experience spontaneous seemingly out-of-the blue panic attacks and are preoccupied with the fear of a recurring attack. In agoraphobia, people stop going into situations or places in which they feel immediate escape might be difficult, such as shopping malls, public transportation, or large sports arenas. They fear not being able to get back to their “safe” place, which is usually home.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: PTSD is a serious potentially debilitating condition that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a natural disaster, serious accident, terrorist incident, sudden death of a loved one, war, violent personal assault such as rape, or other life-threatening events. PTSD often occurs with depression, substance abuse, or other anxiety disorders.

Specific Phobias: One develops fear of new places, high bridges, old elevators, animals, snakes, flying on airplanes, thunder, dental or medical procedures, and public transportation. These phobias can disrupt daily routines, limit work efficiency, reduce self-esteem, and put a strain on relationships because they usually try to avoid these situations at all costs. Some are developed in childhood and some arise unexpectedly.

Social Phobia: SP is an extreme fear of being scrutinized and judged by others in social or performance situations. Although they recognize the fear is excessive and unreasonable, people with social anxiety disorder feel powerless against their anxiety. They are terrified they will humiliate or embarrass themselves. Examples would be public speaking, attending parties, starting relationships, academic situations, or perhaps interviewing for a new job.

Perfectionism: Perfectionism is often a common thread with many anxiety disorders, especially OCD. It is good for us to be organized and structured in our lifestyles, sometimes perfectionism can interfere with our daily life. Examples would be rigidity following rules, everything has to be equally important, mistakes are viewed as catastrophic, having to repeat things until it feels/looks/sounds “right.”  Spending too much time being perfect, one may miss deadlines and suffer from procrastination.