Anxiety Treatment in Glendale, Arizona
Shamlock Behavioral Health provides anxiety treatment in Glendale, Arizona, led by Dr. Kerubo Nyachieo, PhD, MSN, PMHNP-BC. Care is designed for individuals experiencing persistent worry, fear, panic, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems, or other symptoms that interfere with daily life.
Dr. Kerubo evaluates your symptoms, medical and mental health history, daily functioning, and treatment needs to determine an appropriate course of care. Treatment may include medication management, psychotherapy, behavioral strategies, or a combination of approaches.
Anxiety Treatment at Shamlock Behavioral Health
Dr. Kerubo provides psychiatric care for anxiety and anxiety-related conditions in Glendale, Arizona. Treatment is based on your symptoms, their severity, how long they have been present, their effect on your daily life, and any other mental health or medical concerns that may be present.
Anxiety can affect how you think, feel, behave, sleep, and function throughout the day. It may appear as constant worry, physical tension, fear, avoidance, panic attacks, difficulty concentrating, or a persistent feeling that something is wrong. So, our first step is understanding what you are experiencing and determining what type of care may be appropriate.
Signs/Symptoms Anxiety May Be Affecting Your Daily Life
- Excessive or persistent worry
- Feeling nervous, restless, or constantly on edge
- Difficulty controlling worry
- Trouble concentrating
- Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
- Irritability
- Muscle tension
- Racing or pounding heartbeat
- Sweating or trembling
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
- Sudden episodes of intense fear
- Avoiding people, places, or situations because of fear
- Difficulty leaving home or being in certain places
- Persistent fear that something bad will happen
Anxiety symptoms can overlap with other mental health or medical conditions. A psychiatric evaluation can help determine what may be contributing to your symptoms and whether you may be experiencing an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety Disorders We Treat
A comprehensive ADHD evaluation considers your symptoms in the context of your history and daily life. Your clinician may explore several areas to better understand what you are experiencing.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) involves persistent and excessive worry about everyday situations such as work, health, finances, family, or other responsibilities. People with GAD may also experience restlessness, irritability, muscle tension, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, or sleep problems.
Treatment may include psychotherapy, medication, or both, depending on the individual’s symptoms and clinical needs.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Social anxiety disorder involves significant fear or anxiety in social or performance situations. A person may worry about being judged, embarrassed, rejected, or negatively evaluated by others. This type of anxiety can lead to avoiding conversations, meetings, social events, public speaking, or other situations that trigger fear.
Treatment may include psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of both.
Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder
A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear or discomfort that can cause physical symptoms such as a racing heart, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, or a feeling of losing control.
Treatment may include psychotherapy, medication, or both. Treatment can also address the fear and avoidance that may develop around future panic attacks.
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety involves excessive fear or distress related to being away from someone or something a person is strongly attached to.
Although separation anxiety is often associated with children, it can also occur in adults. When separation-related anxiety interferes with relationships, work, daily responsibilities, or independence, professional evaluation may be appropriate.
Phobias and Persistent Fear
Some people experience intense fear related to a specific object, situation, activity, or environment. This may lead to avoidance that interferes with daily life.
Psychotherapy, particularly approaches that address fear and avoidance, is commonly used to treat phobia-related anxiety. Medication may also be considered in certain circumstances.
Anxiety Evaluation and Diagnosis
Anxiety treatment begins with understanding what is causing or contributing to your symptoms. During an evaluation, our mental health specialist for anxiety disorder may discuss when your symptoms began, how frequently they occur, what situations make them worse, how they affect your daily functioning, and whether you have experienced similar symptoms in the past.
Your evaluation may also consider going through your medical history, mental health history, current medications, sleep, stress, panic symptoms, mood symptoms, attention and concentration, substance use when clinically relevant, other conditions that may occur alongside anxiety.
There is no single test that determines whether someone has an anxiety disorder. Diagnosis is based on the individual’s symptoms, history, duration, severity, and effect on daily functioning.
Anxiety Treatment in Glendale and all Across Arizona
Anxiety treatment at Shamlock Behavioral Health, led by Dr. Kerubo Nyachieo, PhD, MSN, PMHNP-BC may include medication management, psychotherapy, behavioral interventions, or a combination of approaches. The appropriate treatment depends on the type and severity of anxiety and your individual clinical needs.
The goal of our treatment approach is to reduce anxiety symptoms, improve daily functioning, and help you manage the situations and symptoms that are interfering with your life.
1. Anxiety Medication Management
Medication management for anxiety involves evaluating whether medication may be appropriate for your symptoms and monitoring your response to treatment. Medication selection depends on your symptoms, medical history, other medications, potential side effects, and treatment goals.
Medication does not work the same way for everyone. Your treatment plan may be adjusted based on how you respond and whether the benefits and side effects are appropriate for you.
2. Psychotherapy for Anxiety
Psychotherapy can help address anxious thoughts, fear, avoidance, stress, and behaviors that contribute to ongoing anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a well-studied form of psychotherapy used for several anxiety disorders. It can help people identify unhelpful thought patterns, understand how thoughts affect emotions and behavior, and develop different ways of responding to anxiety.
Psychotherapy may be used on its own or alongside medication, depending on your clinical needs.
3. Behavioral & Practical Strategies
Behavioral strategies can help you manage situations that trigger or worsen anxiety. Treatment may include practical strategies for managing worry, improving routines, addressing avoidance, developing healthier responses to stressful situations, and gradually returning to activities that anxiety has made difficult.
It can be used alongside psychotherapy or medication when appropriate. Healthy habits such as adequate sleep, exercise, stress management, and reducing excessive caffeine may also support anxiety treatment, but they do not replace professional care when an anxiety disorder is significantly affecting daily life.
Treating Anxiety and Other Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions
Anxiety and Depression
Anxiety and depression can occur together. A person may experience persistent worry and fear while also experiencing low mood, loss of interest, fatigue, sleep changes, or difficulty functioning. When anxiety and depression occur together, treatment needs to consider both sets of symptoms rather than treating them as completely separate problems. Dr. Kerubo can evaluate your symptoms and consider the broader clinical picture when developing an appropriate treatment plan.
Anxiety and ADHD
Anxiety and ADHD can occur together, and some symptoms may overlap. Difficulty concentrating, restlessness, sleep problems, and feeling overwhelmed can occur with both conditions. A comprehensive psychiatric evaluation can help determine whether ADHD, anxiety, both conditions, or another factor may be contributing to your symptoms. If you are experiencing both attention difficulties and anxiety, your evaluation can consider both concerns when developing your treatment plan.
High-Functioning Anxiety
“High-functioning anxiety” is commonly used to describe people who continue to manage work, relationships, responsibilities, or daily activities while experiencing significant internal worry or anxiety. A person may appear productive while privately dealing with constant worry, perfectionism, restlessness, difficulty relaxing, or fear of making mistakes. Even when anxiety does not prevent you from completing your responsibilities, treatment may be appropriate if persistent anxiety is affecting your mental health, relationships, sleep, or daily functioning.
Take the Next Step Toward Understanding Your Anxiety Symptoms and Getting an Appropriate Treatment Plan Near You
Dr. Kerubo Nyachieo, PhD, MSN, PMHNP-BC provides psychiatric care for anxiety and related mental health concerns. evaluates anxiety symptoms and develops treatment based on each patient’s clinical needs, history, and treatment goals. If you are experiencing persistent worry, panic attacks, social anxiety, fear, avoidance, or anxiety alongside depression or ADHD, professional evaluation can help determine the appropriate next step and your treatment plan.
