Boston has the atmosphere of a little town with all the amenities of a big city. It is both historic and ever-changing. The metro area is home to a diversified culinary scene, cultural organizations, world-class schools, employers, and health care. 

This is one of America’s oldest and most historic cities and is a center of higher education, featuring some of the world's best colleges. It also has a thriving technology sector and numerous venture capital firms, all of which encourage high levels of creativity and entrepreneurship.

Busy lives in a bustling city like Boston can sometimes be taxing and anxiety-driven. Find new ways to ensure your mentally sound by seeking convenient and accessible mental health care with a Boston anxiety psychiatrist at Luminous Vitality Behavioral Health.

Understanding Anxiety In Our Everyday Lives

Anxiety is thus one of a group of emotions that has the beneficial effect of alerting us to things we should be concerned about– potentially dangerous things. More significantly, these emotions assist us in assessing possible risks and appropriately responding to them, such as by accelerating our reflexes or focusing our attention.

While fear frequently has a specific, immediate context that triggers the classic 'fight or flight' reflexes, the automatic fear response occurs faster than conscious thought. This also means that releasing surges of adrenaline that can subside quickly once the perceived or actual threat has passed anxiety connotes lingering apprehension.  

A chronic sense of worry and tension is a disagreeable feeling that comes with the expectation of some ill-defined tragedy.

What To Know About Anxiety

All of us experience anxiety at least once in our lives. However, for the vast majority of us, it is just fleeting. When fear or acute physical reactions appear alongside anxiety, it is an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders come in several forms. They include everything from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) to phobias. Understanding how the disorder affects a person in many circumstances can be obvious, especially if it's linked to PTSD or OCD.

However, high-functioning anxiety is tougher to recognize, mostly because those living with it appear to be fine– but deep inside, they're not. Anxiety makes functioning daily difficult for those who are suffering from it. 

Restlessness, jitteriness, weariness, difficulty concentrating, and muscle tightness are signs of generalized anxiety disorder. Panic attacks, which are bouts of acute dread induced by an object or scenario and can last minutes, are common in people with anxiety disorders.

Common Types Of Anxiety Disorders 

Generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, particular phobias, agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety disorder are all anxiety disorders.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

A generalized anxiety disorder is indicated by excessive worry and chronic worry. Constant stress and tension may result in physical symptoms such as restlessness, feeling on edge, fatigued quickly, difficulty concentrating, muscle stiffness, or sleeping problems. 

Worries about daily things like job commitments, family health, or minor issues like chores, car maintenance, or appointments are common.

Panic Disorder

Recurrent panic attacks, an overpowering combination of physical and psychological anguish, are the most common sign of panic disorder. Several of these symptoms occur simultaneously during an attack:

  • Palpitations, pounding heart, or rapid heart rate
  • Sweating
  • Trembling or shaking
  • Feeling of shortness of breath or smothering sensations
  • Chest pain
  • Feeling dizzy, light-headed, or faint
  • Feeling of choking
  • Numbness or tingling
  • Chills or hot flashes
  • Nausea or abdominal pains
  • Feeling detached
  • Fear of losing control
  • Fear of dying

Panic attacks may be expected, such as a response to a feared object, or unexpected, apparently occurring for no reason. The mean age for onset of panic disorder is 20-24. Panic attacks may occur with other mental disorders such as depression or PTSD.

Anxiety About Social Situations (previously called social phobia)

A person with a social anxiety disorder experiences significant anxiety and discomfort about being embarrassed, humiliated, rejected, or looked down upon in social encounters. People suffering from this illness will either try to avoid the circumstance or endure it with great anxiety. 

A common fear is public speaking, meeting new people, or eating or drinking in public. Fear or anxiety that lasts at least six months causes problems with daily functioning.

Separation Anxiety Disorder

A person suffering from a separation anxiety disorder is terrified of being separated from the persons they are attached to. The feeling is excessive for the person's age, lasts for a long time (at least four weeks in children and six months in adults), and interferes with functioning. 

The symptoms of separation anxiety include constant worrying about losing the person closest to you, being hesitant to leave the house or sleep away from that person, or having nightmares about separation. Symptoms of distress usually appear in childhood, but they can persist throughout adulthood.

Finding The Right Boston Anxiety Psychiatrist For Treatment

Seeking treatment for anxiety is a step-by-step one that can only work if you work with the right psychiatrist. Patients will benefit from various treatment plans based on what works best for them.

Luminous Vitality Behavioral Health offers telehealth psychiatry which may be the best alternative if you require a more convenient but still high-quality telehealth treatment plan with psychiatric support. Aside from Boston, our services are available in Worcester, Springfield, and more. 
We have professional psychiatrists who can properly conduct telemedicine and treat diseases with apt mental health treatment. Book an appointment with us on our Luminello page to schedule a consultation.

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