Anxiety Treatment Program in New Jersey

When someone deals with anxiety, it can cause them to feel apprehension, worry and fear. These interfere with their daily life.

It’s normal to occasionally experience anxiety as a stress response. Chronic anxiety, on the other hand, can cause distress and impair a person’s ability to function effectively.

At New Jersey Behavioral Health, we offer evidence-based treatment for anxiety and also for co-occurring addiction disorders.

Whether you’re seeking help for yourself or a loved one, we can support your recovery and mental health journey. Contact us today to find out of our anxiety treatment program in New Jersey is right for you!

Understanding Anxiety: Causes, Types and Effects

Anxiety is a mental illness. The symptoms and side effects can be mild to severe. Unlike normal occasional stress or nervousness, anxiety disorders are characterized by worry that is:

  • Excessive.
  • Persistent.
  • Irrational.
  • Interferes with daily activities.

The causes of anxiety are thought to be a combination of contributing factors, which can include:

  • Genetics: Having anxiety in your family can increase your likelihood of developing it.
  • Brain chemistry: Neurotransmitter imbalances can impact mood regulation and contribute to anxiety.
  • Trauma and stress: Going through traumatic events or chronic stress can cause or worsen anxiety symptoms.
  • Medical conditions: Thyroid problems, heart disease or chronic pain are examples of health conditions that can lead to anxiety or make it worse.
  • Substance use: Alcohol, certain drugs and caffeine can cause or intensify anxiety symptoms.

The types of anxiety disorders include:

  • Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): Symptoms include excessive worry and negative thoughts that are uncontrollable about different aspects of life. These can consist of concerns about health, finances or work. The symptoms last for at least six months.
  • Panic disorder: Recurrent and unexpected panic attacks occur. These are periods of intense fear with physical symptoms of anxiety like dizziness, sweating, and heart palpitations.
  • Social anxiety disorder: This mental health condition includes an intense fear of being judged or embarrassed in social situations.
  • Specific phobias: These involve an irrational fear of certain objects or situations that aren’t proportional to the actual danger.
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): The condition includes unwanted thoughts, which are obsessions. They’re intrusive and lead to repetitive behaviors or compulsions. Compulsions are a way to try and reduce anxiety.
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): The condition develops after you’re exposed to a traumatic event with symptoms including flashbacks and nightmares.

Anxiety can have profound effects on all aspects of your well-being.

For example, physical pain and symptoms can occur. Anxiety often causes irritability and problems concentrating, and it can make other disorders like depression worse.

Someone with anxiety might engage in avoidance behaviors to avoid situations that provoke anxiety for them. That can limit their professional and social lives.

Approaches Used in an Anxiety Treatment Program

At New Jersey Behavioral Health, we offer intensive, thorough and individualized treatment for anxiety. Anxiety disorders can be very treatable.

Some of the effective treatments and approaches we use to manage and reduce symptoms include the following:

Psychotherapy

This is also known as talk therapy, and several types are considered a treatment for anxiety.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of therapy that’s often fundamental in an anxiety treatment program. It helps you develop healthier ways of thinking and coping with situations that induce anxiety.

Exposure therapy is frequently used for PTSD and phobias. You’re gradually exposed to the object or situation you fear in a controlled environment.

Mindfulness-based therapies teach you to focus on the present, accept your thoughts and feelings and not judge them.

Medication

Another aspect of an anxiety treatment program can include medicines.

For example, some antidepressants can help with reducing symptoms and regulating moods in anxiety disorders.

Benzodiazepines are fast-acting anti-anxiety medications and are meant for short-term relief of severe symptoms. They do have a risk of dependence, though.

Beta-blockers aren’t specifically for anxiety, but they can help manage physical symptoms like a rapid heartbeat.

Lifestyle and Self-Care

It’s important that as part of your treatment for anxiety, you learn how to make healthier changes in your lifestyle to support wellness.

For example, exercise and movement can reduce stress and improve your mood. Eating well, getting good sleep, and relaxation strategies like deep breathing and yoga are also ways you can manage anxiety symptoms.

Anxiety Dual Diagnosis

Along with treatment for anxiety, at New Jersey Behavioral Health, we offer dual diagnosis care. Anxiety dual diagnosis is when you have an anxiety disorder and a substance use disorder.

The symptoms of both conditions overlap, making it hard to distinguish between their effects, which is why a specialized treatment program is important.

Both conditions can worsen each other’s symptoms, increasing the risk of complications. Someone with a dual diagnosis may also be more resistant to treatment or have a higher risk of relapse if the conditions aren’t addressed at the same time.

Treating anxiety dual diagnosis involves components like:

  • Integrated therapeutic interventions: Along with CBT, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) can be part of dual diagnosis. It focuses on emotional regulation and distress tolerance. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a therapy that takes a client-centered approach to increase the motivation to change.
  • Medication management: Along with antidepressants, for dual diagnosis, medications for substance use disorders may also be part of treatment. For example, naltrexone and buprenorphine can be used for managing opioid withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
  • Dual diagnosis group therapy and support group participation: Group therapy creates a sense of community and a supportive, safe space to share experiences and struggles. Sessions can be focused on certain topics related to both substance abuse and mental health.
  • Holistic and complementary therapies: Things like mindfulness and art therapy reduce stress and give additional coping mechanisms to manage anxiety without substances.
  • Aftercare and relapse prevention: Ongoing support through aftercare programs helps maintain progress and recovery and prevent relapse.

Access Treatment for Anxiety in New Jersey Today

New Jersey Behavioral Health offers expertise in dual diagnosis care, integrated and personalized treatment plans, and multiple levels of care. We include evidence-based therapies with holistic approaches and are committed to patient-centered care.

We encourage you to contact us and learn more about our programs, which include treatment for anxiety and co-occurring disorders.

References:

  1. JAMA Network: Anxiety Disorders
  2. Science Direct: Journal of Anxiety Disorders
  3. National Institute of Health (NIH): Treatment of anxiety disorders

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