Depression, Anxiety, And Insomnia

Anxiety disorders are a group of mental health conditions that cause nervousness or fear to a degree that it interferes with your life. It’s normal to have everyday worries over work, family, and relationships. However, when it’s part of a mental health condition, anxiety feels intense and disproportionate to the seriousness of the cause, if there even is a cause.

Anxiety disorders can take many different forms, including:

• Generalized anxiety disorder, where you feel uncontrollable worry, often with no apparent cause
• Panic disorder, which causes episodes of intense fear at random, known as “panic attacks,” that can include frightening physical symptoms, such as chest pain and heart palpitations, and shortness of breath
• Social anxiety disorder, where you find yourself struggling in everyday interactions because you worry excessively with what others think about you and believe you’re constantly being judged
• Phobias, or fears tied to specific objects or situations, which can cause panic attacks from exposure

If you find your anxiety is interfering with your everyday life, seek help. Family Medicine Specialists of Texas provides counseling to help you feel comfortable when facing the sources of your anxiety and learn how to manage your symptoms when they come up. When combined with lifestyle changes, like eating healthily and avoiding caffeine and tobacco, as well as medication, short-term therapy can make a lasting difference in anxiety disorders.

Insomnia is difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, which can result in fatigue, a lack of energy, trouble concentrating, and irritability. The measure of insomnia is the quality of your sleep, not how many hours you get a night or even how long it takes you to fall asleep. When you have insomnia, you don’t feel refreshed or well-rested when you wake up.

Family Medicine Specialists of Texas treats insomnia by addressing the underlying causes. Sometimes, insomnia is the result of another condition, including depression, anxiety, or chronic pain, and improves by successfully managing the condition. Or, if your insomnia is the side effect of a medication, Family Medicine Specialists of Texas may recommend an alternative.

Insomnia can also result from life stress or poor sleep habits. Family Medicine Specialists of Texas determine if habits like drinking caffeine too late in the day, napping, or looking at your phone or computer before going to bed are contributing to your insomnia.

In severe cases of insomnia, Family Medicine Specialists of Texas may prescribe a sleep aid. However, because they can be habit-forming, you only take the medication for a short period of time, while you establish a regular sleep schedule and adjust to long-lasting habits that naturally promote restful sleep.

To get help for depression, anxiety, or insomnia, call Family Medicine Specialists of Texas, or use the online booking tool.