I Have Anxiety. Now What?

There are a few levels of care that may be helpful for you or a loved one that has anxiety.

Anxiety, by the way, is the feeling of apprehension, dread, discomfort, or uneasiness from a stressor. That stressor can be real or perceived. 

The lowest level of care is: self-care. Learning about anxiety, learning breathing techniques, how to ground yourself, learning meditation, how to calm yourself, any self help books, any educational or supportive podcasts. I generally recommend to start here if you are struggling with anxiety. 

If that level is not enough or not working, you may need to increase the level up to outpatient. This is the typical counseling sessions, 45 to 60 minutes, usually done weekly. These sessions are led by licensed professionals. This is not medication. This is coping skills and anxiety management from an expert. Clinicians usually have LPC or LCSW as the credentials behind their names.

(Kessinger Counseling Group offers this level of care. We provide individual counseling and teen counseling, ages 12 and up. We focus on an individualized treatment plan for your anxiety.)

There are all sorts of modalities of therapy – cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical therapy, somatic, family systems, emotional focused therapy, narrative therapy, solution focused, adlerian, gestalt, existential, EMDR, art therapy, etc. 

Another layer of care would be medication. Medication for anxiety is prescribed by a psychiatrist or a general practitioner. The first appointment is long and comprehensive (~1 hour), but then the follow up appointments are generally shorter (~15 minutes). The focus is generally medication management. The doctor will decide what medication is right for you and at what dosage. Doctors will usually have MD or DO behind their names.

Another layer of care would be a psychologist. Psychologists conduct evaluations. This is someone with a PhD behind their name. They ask you questions and give you mental health tests. It is completed in 1 day - usually a few hours. After the evaluation, you are given an individualized assessment of what you are diagnosed with and what treatment methods are recommended for you. 

Higher levels of care would be IOP and PHP.  IOP stands for intensive outpatient. For example, 3 hours per day, 4 days a week of therapy.

PHP stands for partial hospitalization programs. These are usually full days of therapy, multiple days per week. You still go home afterwards.

Residential treatment is the highest level of care.  This is where you stay and live at a treatment center for a set amount of time. It is 24/7 support, usually with a team of specialists, including therapists, social workers, nurses and psychiatrists. 

Hope this helps!

Note: This list is not comprehensive. This is for educational purposes only. If you need help, please seek help! Anxiety is hard, but support makes it easier!