Anxiety, Panic & Stress-Related Disorders
Anxiety is one of the most universal human emotions — and in the right amount, a genuinely useful one. It becomes a medical concern when it's disproportionate to what's actually happening, doesn't let up over time, or starts interfering with how you function day to day. Our team is trained to tell the difference and to identify which specific condition, out of several related ones, is actually driving your symptoms.
Book an AppointmentThe Conditions We Treat Under This Umbrella
Anxiety isn't a single diagnosis — it's a spectrum of related conditions that share overlapping features but call for different treatment approaches. Here's how the most common ones typically present.
Panic Disorder
Sudden, unprovoked episodes of intense fear or dread that build to a peak within minutes, often bringing a racing heart, shortness of breath, or a sense of impending doom. Episodes are more common in women, and roughly two-thirds of cases follow an earlier depressive episode rather than the other way around.
Agoraphobia
A pattern of avoiding places or situations where escape might be difficult or help unavailable — often developing after a panic attack. Unlike social anxiety, people with agoraphobia typically feel noticeably calmer when accompanied by someone they trust.
Social Anxiety Disorder
A persistent fear of being judged or embarrassed in social or performance situations, affecting an estimated 3–13% of adults, equally across genders. It's diagnosed only when symptoms persist beyond six months — and unlike agoraphobia, a trusted companion's presence doesn't meaningfully ease it.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Persistent, hard-to-control worry about everyday events that occurs more days than not for at least six months, often without a clear connection to any specific stressor. The focus of the worry tends to shift over time, and symptoms typically wax and wane.
OCD & Related Disorders
A cluster of conditions — including OCD itself, body dysmorphic disorder, hoarding disorder, and hair-pulling or skin-picking disorders — where a person feels driven to repeat certain thoughts or behaviors to quiet a distressing urge, even while recognizing it doesn't fully make sense.
Trauma & Dissociative Conditions
Stress and trauma can also produce dissociative symptoms — memory gaps, a sense of detachment from oneself or reality, or in severe cases, distinct personality states. These frequently overlap with PTSD and often trace back to significant past trauma.
When Anxiety Crosses Into a Medical Concern
Some anxiety is a normal, even useful, response to stress. It becomes a treatable condition when it takes on patterns like these:
Our Approach to Diagnosis & Treatment
Because anxiety-spectrum conditions can look similar on the surface but require different care, an accurate diagnosis comes first. From there, treatment is built around your specific pattern:
Careful Differential Diagnosis
Panic disorder, GAD, social anxiety, and OCD-related conditions can overlap or mimic one another. We take the time to identify which pattern — or combination — is actually driving your symptoms before recommending treatment.
Psychotherapy
Talk therapy, including cognitive behavioral approaches, is often the foundation of treatment — helping identify the thought patterns that fuel anxiety and building practical tools to interrupt them.
Medication Management
When appropriate, medication can reduce the intensity of symptoms enough to make therapy more effective, prescribed and monitored closely for your specific diagnosis.
Trauma-Informed Care
For anxiety linked to past trauma or dissociative symptoms, treatment accounts for that history directly rather than treating the anxiety in isolation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my anxiety is "normal" or something that needs treatment? +
Anxiety becomes a medical concern when it's disproportionate to the situation, doesn't go away on its own, or starts interfering with your ability to function day to day. If that sounds familiar, it's worth an evaluation regardless of how severe you think it has to be first.
What's the difference between a panic attack and generalized anxiety? +
Panic attacks are sudden, intense, and peak within minutes; generalized anxiety is more like a constant, lower-level hum of worry that persists for months. Some people experience both.
Is OCD actually an anxiety disorder? +
It's classified separately today, but it's closely related — the compulsive behaviors in OCD exist specifically to relieve the anxiety created by intrusive, unwanted thoughts.
Will I need medication, or is therapy enough on its own? +
It depends on the diagnosis and severity. Many patients do well with therapy alone; others benefit from combining it with medication. We'll work that out together based on what's actually going on.
Can anxiety cause physical symptoms? +
Yes — racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, and GI distress are all common physical expressions of anxiety, which is part of why it's often mistaken for a physical illness before being correctly diagnosed.