Tag: Mental Health

Helping Kids Overcome School-Related Anxiety

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There are many different kinds of anxiety. School anxiety, a condition that can affect children of all ages, manifests as an excessive fear of school and the activities associated with it, such as making friends, speaking in public, or taking tests. Neurologist and former teacher Ken Schuster, PsyD, says that anxiety “tends to lock up the brain,” making school hard for anxious kids.

Know the Symptoms

Healthline.com explains that symptoms of anxiety in children who are 10 and under may include: 

– irritability, crying, yelling, or having a tantrum

– refusal to participate in the process of getting ready for school 

– loss of appetite or nausea as it draws close to time to leave for school 

– nightmares or difficulty sleeping

– headache

– increased heart rate and/or rapid breathing

As students grow older, their anxiety may show itself in the form of external school-avoidance behaviors. Signs of anxiety in children who are in middle and high school will vary across cultures and individual families, but may include

– truancy/excessive absence from class 

– refusal to participate in school activities

– rapid breathing and/or quick heart rate 

– loss of appetite, nausea, or headache

– self-harm behaviors

How to Help

There are many ways to help and support your child through school anxiety. Acting with empathy and compassion, rather than establishing strict rules and punishments is a great place to start. 

Talk openly about feelings and mental health. Make sure to ask questions about school at times when your child is calm. You don’t want to make your child feel interrogated, instead simply give them a chance to make their feelings known so that they feel understood.

Check your Priorities

This is a big one. Sometimes the source of school anxiety may start at home. Take a real honest look at what your parental attitude toward academic success is. This can greatly help children who are afraid of failing.

Get Help From an Expert

Reach out to SouthEnd Psych right away if your child’s anxiety is causing distress or interfering with daily life. Untreated anxiety can lead to other problems, such as depression, substance use disorders, and social isolation. 

Southend Psychiatry is also here to help you navigate conversations with your child’s school personnel to develop a plan. This may include making adjustments to your child’s schedule, providing support in the classroom, or involving your child in social activities outside of school.

Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get your child on their way to a better place.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

Why We Love Pride Month

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Here at Southend Psychiatry, we fully embrace all of the celebrations and awareness that takes place during Pride Month. This month is for everyone, from all walks of life no matter where they are in the world, to honor who they are.

Did You Know? The New York Pride Parade is one of the largest and most well-known parades with over two million people estimated to participate in any given year. New York City also held the very first pride march in 1970. Way to go NYC!

Why We Love to Celebrate

  • It Raises Awareness – This month provides us with a great opportunity to think about, support and discuss issues related to the gay rights movement. With gay marriage, adoption and transgender rights on the line, the LGBTQ+ community needs our support more than ever.
  • It Is Positive – Pride Month is all about loving and accepting everyone for who they are. It is an opportunity to celebrate how colorful we are as humans and meet other like-minded people. Attending a parade, festival or event in our community brings us together!
  • It Is For Everyone – No matter what our sexual preferences are, we all come together and celebrate our diversity during Pride Month. People of all ages, especially children can join in on the fun that is had! By teaching our youth about sexual diversity, we are passing on a spirit of acceptance and inclusion.

How We Love to Celebrate

  • Learn Something New – Now is a great time to learn about the people who helped bring this movement together. Our history is full of bravery and trailblazers! There are also informative movies and documentaries that shed light on Pride Month.
  • Join a Pride Parade – Everyone is welcome to join in on the fun of supporting gay rights and equality. You don’t have to identify as LGBTQ+ to attend. Click here to find out how NYC is celebrating Pride Month.
  • Represent the Rainbow – Grab a flag, t-shirt, scarf or cape designed with the rainbow in mind and represent with pride! Get creative on how you can show your support all month long.

We hope you choose to help support and promote the well-being of the LGBTQ+ community and preserve its rich history.

Southend Psychiatry is here as you navigate this journey. We can come alongside you to offer support and help. Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get on your way to a better you.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

You Are More Than Enough

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we are excited to join the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in promoting this year’s theme, “More Than Enough” which is meant to be a message of hope and inclusion.

No matter where you are in your mental health journey, you are deserving of support, resources, fulfillment and a community that cares about you… no matter what you look like or what you are able and not able to do.

Build Connection and Community 

People living with mental health conditions need to know and feel valued and supported by their communities. It is important to start conversations and share resources to raise awareness of how critical this topic is. 

“While some are lucky to have a community that understands the reality of mental illness, that doesn’t mean that everyone we encounter has risen above the pervasive stigma. Sometimes, making progress requires having tough conversations.” Margot Harris, Associate Editor of Marketing at NAMI

Education and Advocacy

This month, help us educate people on mental health issues and challenges as well as help empower new and current advocates to help advocate for the rights people affected by mental health conditions deserve. Here are a few statistics to help bring this concept to reality:

  • 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience a mental health condition each year. 

Annually, mental illness affects:

  • 16% of Asian adults
  • 21% of Black/African American adults
  • 18% of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults
  • 21% of Hispanic adults
  • 27% of American Indian/Alaska Native adults
  • 24% of White adults
  • 35% of multiracial adults
  • 50% of LGB adults 

Creating Awareness and Driving Action

We can increase awareness of mental health support and advocacy by taking real action this month! By continuing to learn more about this topic and getting involved in local events and initiatives, we can make a difference.

  1. ACT: send an email, share a story, or post on social media to urge your elected officials to support mental health. Visit https://nami.quorum.us/AdvocacyAlerts for details.
  2. VOTE: commit to understanding how your vote impacts people with mental health conditions. Visit: https://www.vote4mentalhealth.org to get started.
  3. JOIN: Many virtual and in-person NAMIWalks will be taking place throughout the country during the month of May to help bring awareness and spread the message of Mental Health for All! Promote NAMIWalks events taking place in your local areas. Encourage people to use their creativity, create teams and participate however they can. Visit https://www.namiwalks.org/ to find events in your area.

Together, we can make a difference and realize our shared vision of a nation where anyone affected by mental illness can get the appropriate support and quality of care to live healthy, fulfilling lives. Help us spread the word through awareness, support and advocacy activities. 

Southend Psychiatry is here as you navigate this journey. We can come alongside you to offer support and help. Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get on your way to a better you.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

Let’s Talk About Alcoholism

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April is Alcohol Awareness Month and we are specifically drawing attention to this campaign to point out the stigma that still surrounds alcoholism and substance abuse. We are joining the efforts of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence’s (NCADD) to raise awareness to the causes of alcoholism, the signs and effects of the condition, how to talk to a loved one about a drinking problem, and how to find treatment options.

The Causes of Alcoholism

According to National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcoholism is when one can no longer control their use of alcohol, compulsively abuse alcohol, despite its negative ramifications, and/or experience emotional distress when they are not drinking.

Alcohol.org states that alcoholism is believed to have a strong heritable component, with between 40–60% of the variance of risk being attributable to genetic factors. However, there is no cut-and-dry formula to explain alcoholism. It is a multifaceted and complex disease, so while someone may inherit a predisposition to the disorder, genes do not fully determine a person’s outcome.

The way genes are affected by environmental factors plays an important role in alcoholism. For example, being around parental figures who abuse alcohol, being exposed to peers who are heavy alcohol users, and using alcohol for the first time at an early age, can all influence the development of alcoholism.

The Signs and Effects

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism tells us that physical effects associated with alcohol addiction can include:

  • Heart problems like cardiomyopathy (enlarged, inefficient heart muscle), arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat), high blood pressure, and stroke.
  • Liver disease, including steatosis (fatty liver), alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma.
  • Pancreatic problems like pancreatitis, an acutely painful inflammatory condition that can progress to a chronic disease. Pancreatitis can affect a range of pancreatic functions, including the normal release of digestive enzymes.
  • Certain types of cancer, including head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer.
  • A weakened immune system, which can increase your risk of infection and contraction of diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis.

Potential psychological and cognitive effects associated with alcoholism include:

  • Cognitive problems, such as memory loss or problems thinking clearly.
  • Blackouts (periods of time in which you cannot recall events).
  • Serious brain damage and disorders like Wernicke–Korsakoff Syndrome, which leads to confusion, impaired optic nerve function, profound movement deficits, and problems with memory recall and consolidation.
  • Mood disorders, like major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder.
  • Anxiety disorders, especially panic disorder and social phobia.

How to Talk to a Loved One

It takes courage to talk to a family member or friend about a drinking problem. These tips from health.gov can help.

  • Be prepared. Before you talk, take some time to accept your own feelings. It’s normal to feel nervous or upset, but try to be calm when you talk with your loved one. Practice what you’ll say and plan to keep it brief. Try focusing on just 1 change that could help your loved one.
  • Keep it positive. Use positive language and try to focus on the benefits of making change.
  • Make a plan together to seek help. Work together to make a list of goals. Choose 1 goal as a first step — like taking 2 nights off from drinking each week. Make sure it’s something you can measure easily. Encourage your loved one to make an appointment with a professional licensed counselor.

How to Find Treatment Options

If you feel you or a loved one may be struggling with alcoholism, you’re not alone. We at Southend Psych understand how overwhelming it can be to consider seeking help for addiction and we’re here to take that burden off your shoulders.

Southend Psychiatry is here as you navigate this journey. We can come alongside you to offer support and help. Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get on your way to a better you.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

The Connection Between Stress and Sleep

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Studies conducted by Baylor School of Medicine are directly linking stress as a major cause of inadequate sleep routines. Dr. Annise Wilson, assistant professor of neurology and of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, explains that people who are stressed think excessively about responsibilities such as work, family and finances. For teens and young adults in school, this stress often focuses on exams and other important assignments. When one attempts to fall asleep, those thoughts continue and cause numerous disruptions in sleep patterns.

Are you getting enough quality sleep at night? 

If you find yourself struggling with a negative mood, low energy, difficulty concentrating, and/or a general inability to function as usual, this could be due to a lack of quality sleep which many times is a result of stress.

Let’s go through seven ways to manage stress in order to regain a great night’s sleep suggested by WebMD.

  1. Assess what is stressful. The first step in getting a handle on stress is to figure out what’s causing it. Take a good look at your physical condition and your daily activities. Do you have pain? Are you overloaded at work? Once you identify your stressors, you can take steps to reduce them. 
  2. Seek social support. Spending time with family and friends is an important buffer against stress. It can be helpful to share your problems with people who care for you.
  3. Practice thought management. What we think, how we think, what we expect, and what we tell ourselves often determine how we feel and how well we manage rising stress levels. You can learn to change thought patterns that produce stress. Thoughts to watch out for include those concerning how things should be and those that overgeneralize sets of circumstances (for example, “I’m a failure at my whole job because I missed one deadline.”) 
  4. Exercise. Physical activity can help you blow off steam, reducing stress. In addition, flexible, loose muscles are less likely to become tight and painful in response to stress. But it’s best to exercise at least 2 hours before bedtime so your body temperature returns to normal. 
  5. Learn to relax. Practice things like yoga, meditation, or deep breathing. Try taking a warm bath and turning off electronics to help you wind down before bed.
  6. Eat a healthy diet. Junk food and refined sugars low in nutritional value and high in calories can leave us feeling out of energy and sluggish. A healthy diet can promote health and reduce stress.
  7. Delegate responsibility. Often, having too many responsibilities can lead to stress. Free up time and decrease stress by delegating responsibilities.

Reducing your daily stress levels can be challenging. Identifying the cause of stress can be difficult and slow to resolve, however removing the source of stress is vital to getting better. 

Southend Psychiatry is here as you navigate this journey with you. We can come alongside you to offer support and help in reducing your stress and gaining quality sleep. Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get on your way to a better you.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

5 Tips to a Healthy Mental Wellness Practice

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The phrase “mental wellness” is becoming more and more common as we enter into this new year. Mental health in general is now widely accepted and for good reason. 

Alison Seponara, a licensed professional counselor and author of the book “The Anxiety Healer’s Guide” says that mental health helps determine how you handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. This month, we’d like to encourage you to embrace a healthy mental wellness practice.

Nurturing our mental wellness can help with self-esteem, improved mood, reducing anxiety, clearer thinking and managing stress which ultimately leads to overall better health. Let’s dive into 5 ways we can develop and maintain mental wellness.

1. Sleep

Improve your memory, reduce stress and stay alert with good sleeping habits. Did you know that the CDC reported, people who averaged 6 hours of sleep or less per night were about 2.5 times more likely to report frequent mental distress than those who averaged more than 6 hours of sleep? 

  • Start by creating a quiet, cool, relaxing environment for sleep. 
  • Try to keep the same sleep pattern of when you go to sleep and when you wake up.
  • Put the caffeine down in the mid to late afternoon.

2. Physical Health

Keeping your body active by getting outside for a nature walk, starting a new exercise routine or simply stretching daily can help reduce stress, anxiety and depression. This increases blood flow which helps get more oxygen through your body.

Another way to improve your physical health is through the foods you eat. Incorporating foods into your diet that are packed with mood-boosting nutrients like berries, omega-3 fatty acids (fish) and whole grains will naturally increase your defense against stress.

3. Nurture Relationships

Cultivating positive connections and nurturing our existing friendships can have a great impact on our mental health. Psychology Today says that when we show love and compassion to other people, it releases chemicals in the pre-frontal cortex and reward center of the brain that professionals refer to as the “Helper’s High.” People who help others report many positive mental and physical health benefits, including lower levels of stress, lower blood pressure, and relief from depression and physical pain.

4. Mindfulness 

Jennice Vilhauer, Ph.D., Director of Emory University’s Adult Outpatient Psychotherapy Program in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science in the School of Medicine says that mindfulness allows you to have conscious awareness of what you are doing, so you can make choices to override automatic thinking and make positive changes in thoughts and behavior. 

When you are mindful, you are able to observe events in a non-judgmental way, which allows you to detach from negative emotions, as opposed to being controlled by them. As a result, the way you respond to events in your life starts to change. Your emotions are better regulated, and you stop getting so upset, angry, or fearful over things you can’t control. You are also not flooding your brain with fear and worry about the future or resentments from the past, which has the profoundly positive effect of resetting your emotional state to calm and peaceful.

5. Stimulate The Brain

Learning a new skill or hobby this year can keep the brain healthy and active. These activities involve a combination of memory, decision-making and strategizing, which keeps the brain active and prevents dementia.

Know When Its Time to Reach Out

Southend Psychiatry is here as you navigate this new year. We can come alongside you to offer support and help. Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get on your way to a better you.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

Grief and the Holidays: 5 Practical Tips to Help Cope

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Grief is complicated. It is ever-changing and unique for each person going through it. Coping can sometimes feel overwhelming… especially during the holiday season when certain songs are played or when special festive decorations bring back memories with that loved one. 

You are not alone.

Our hearts can feel conflicted between the joy of the season and the painful feelings of our own loss. Family gatherings, holiday traditions, and memories of years past all seem to contribute to these distressing emotions.

There is hope.

Although totally removing our feelings of loss is not possible; there are ways we can help reduce some of that internal conflict and even make our experiences enjoyable.

1. Plan Ahead

Psychology Today offers this guidance: “Often, the anticipation over how hard something is going to be is worse than the actual event. So while that holiday dinner may only last two hours, you could easily spend three weeks dreading it. Create a simple plan for how you’ll get through the holidays to avoid extending your anguish. Drive yourself to holiday functions or ride with a trusted friend who will take you home whenever you want. Just knowing you can easily leave at any time can help you enjoy the activity much more than you would if you felt stuck.”

Certain holiday roles may need to be filled when those have been vacated by loss. Planning ahead can help avoid unexpected sorrow. Consider who might fill those empty spaces before the moment arises.

2. Honor Traditions and Memories

A helpful way to keep your loved one’s memory present is to continue practicing holiday traditions. You can also find ways to honor those who are no longer here by dedicating time to remember and celebrate them. Grief.com gives us these examples:

  • A prayer before the Holiday dinner, about your loved one.
  • Light a candle for your loved one.
  • Create an online tribute for them.
  • Share a favorite story about your loved one.
  • Have everyone tell a funny story about your loved one.

3. Allow Yourself to Feel

We all grieve in our own unique way. There is no right or wrong way. You may even experience different emotions from year to year. That’s okay. Laugh and embrace joy when it comes. Grieve and mourn when those feelings arise. It is important to acknowledge all of our feelings and to not avoid them. 

Developing healthy coping skills can help walk us through these moments:

  • Go for a walk 
  • Start or continue journaling
  • Deep breathing
  • Practice yoga/meditation
  • Speak positive affirmations to yourself

4. Volunteer

Doing something to help another can lift a grieving spirit. We can draw comfort from doing good to others. Even in the midst of our grief, we have so much to offer to those in need:

  • Donate to a family in need. 
  • Volunteer at a shelter or soup kitchen. 
  • Invite a guest to holiday dinner that might otherwise spend it alone.
  • Support another who is also grieving a loss.

5. Ask for Help

Surround yourself with friends, family, and coworkers who love and support you. Reminding loved ones that this time is difficult and sharing your holiday plans with them can help. It can also be extremely valuable to reach out for professional talk therapy. If you are struggling with grief and the complicated feelings that arise during the holidays, don’t be afraid to seek professional help.

Southend Psychiatry is here as you navigate the pressures, demands and triggers of the holidays. We can come alongside you to offer support and help. Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get on your way to a better you.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

 

Family, Stress & the Holidays

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When you think of the upcoming holiday season, does it immediately raise anxiety and stress levels? If so, you are not alone. This season can sometimes bring unexpected gatherings with toxic family members, an overcommitment of gift-giving, streets full of impatient drivers, and the stress of managing it all.  

There is hope. Believe it or not, we can all still have a joyous holiday despite the stressors that come with this season. Here are some practical tips to help make this holiday one you can genuinely enjoy.

Boundaries. Boundaries. Boundaries.

Boundary issues can be the most difficult to handle at the family level. It can feel uncomfortable if we haven’t practiced this skill. Start with these 4 rules:

  • Set your boundaries. What will you tolerate and not tolerate? What behaviors will you accept and not accept? Include everything from protecting your schedule to how someone can treat you. Write them down and trust your decisions. 
  • Decide the consequences. Most of us have at least one “boundary breaker” in our family therefore decide ahead of time what the consequences will be if your boundary is broken…regardless of who breaks it.
  • Communicate clearly. Make your boundaries and consequences known…especially with family members who are known to cross the line. Be direct and clear. Their response or reaction is not your responsibility.  
  • Follow through. If a boundary is broken, you know what to do. Be firm yet compassionate. Honor yourself by not allowing people to treat you poorly.

Set Realistic Expectations.

For some reason, we can feel like the holidays have to be perfect or even better than last year. We try to top last year’s gift list or attend more parties. FOMO (fear of missing out) is a real struggle for many however it comes at a cost. Consider these ideas:

  • Stick to a budget. Decide ahead of time how much you can afford and stick to it. If you are someone who loves showering people with gifts, think of ways to do this without overspending.
  • Plan ahead. Choose specific days for shopping, baking and family gatherings. Avoid last minute trips to the store by planning your menus and shopping lists in advance. 
  • Take time for yourself. This season is meant to be enjoyed by all…including you. Even setting aside 15 minutes a day alone to take a walk, read, or meditate can drastically reduce stress.

Know When to Seek Professional Help.

Talk therapy is always a good idea…especially when it is with a licensed therapist. If you are feeling persistently anxious, unable to sleep at night or focus during the day, let’s talk. 

Southend Psychiatry is here as you navigate the pressures, demands and triggers of the holidays. We can come alongside you to offer support and help. Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get on your way to a better you.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

Fighting Depression Together

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In the US alone, about 1 in 10 people experience depression. From the pandemic to social unrest, there are many factors in today’s society that contribute to this rising mental health condition.

Psychology Today states:

“The trigger for depression can be almost any negative experience or hardship. Triggers can be external—losing a parent (especially when young), losing a job or developing a debilitating disease—or they can be internal and invisible, such a brooding over that most common of experiences, a failed relationship. People differ in their susceptibility, both by virtue of the biological heritage, their parenting heritage, their styles of thinking, the coping skills they acquire or deliberately cultivate, and the degree to which situations afford them the ability to control their fate.”

What is Depression?

Webster defines depression as a mood disorder that is marked by varying degrees of sadness, despair, and loneliness and that is typically accompanied by inactivity, guilt, loss of concentration, social withdrawal, sleep disturbances, and sometimes suicidal tendencies.

Signs of Depression

According to the latest edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, depression can be considered an illness when at least five symptoms occur together for at least two weeks. Symptoms include:

  • Feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness
  • Irritability, angry outbursts, or low frustration tolerance
  • Loss of interest in or ability to enjoy usual activities, from sex to sports
  • Sleep disturbance, whether inability to sleep (insomnia) or sleeping too much (hypersomnia)
  • Fatigue and lack of energy; everything feels effortful
  • Appetite disturbance, including loss of interest in eating and weight loss or overeating and weight gain
  • Anxiety, agitation, and restlessness
  • Slowed thinking, moving, or talking
  • Feelings of worthlessness and guilt, a focus on past failure, self-blame
  • Difficulty concentrating, remembering things, and making decisions
  • Recurring thoughts of death
  • Physical pain such as headaches or back pain that has no clear cause.

How Can Therapy Help?

At SouthEnd Psychiatry, our therapy team first helps patients understand what thoughts, feelings and beliefs are contributing to their depression. We then begin to develop healthy coping skills to combat and prevent depressive episodes. 

Negative thought patterns directly affect our mood. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps us understand these patterns. We learn how to reframe our thoughts through newly developed skills including meditation.

How Can We Help a Loved One With Depression?

Helping someone with depression can come in many forms. Acknowledgment, understanding and empathy are a great place to start! Here are five ways you can help a loved one battling depression:

  • Encourage therapy treatment. Depression is a complex disorder. Talking to someone who is trained and experienced can mean all the difference in the world. SouthEnd Psychiatry has many different therapy plans and means of communication to help make seeing a therapist easy.
  • Get active. People battling depression tend to loose motivation yet physical activity is a great form of behavioral activation. Invite your loved one on a walk. Exercise, sunshine and companionship all have antidepressant qualities.
  • Intentional sleeping habits. Our sleep patterns can be negatively affected by depression. Encourage your loved one to be intentional about getting a good night’s sleep through meditation, a healthy night time wind down routine and consistent bed times.
  • Keep talking. Maintaining regular contact with someone battling depression is key. Take time to listen without judgement or criticism. Social contact helps prevent alienation and seclusion.

Southend Psychiatry is here as you navigate the complexities of today. We can come alongside you or your loved one to offer support and help. Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get on your way to a better you.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

Is it Anxiety or Something More?

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One positive outcome of the increased awareness surrounding mental health is that people are talking more about anxiety and how to address its impact on our lives. Anxiety and worry are often confused with more panic attacks, and people suffering from anxiety often wonder when anxiety crosses the line to panic. Panic attacks are often more intense and can occur with or without a trigger, while anxiety attacks are a response to a perceived threat.

The following checklist can help you discern if you or someone else is having a panic attack. When several of these conditions exist together, it’s advised to see a medical professional.

–       Irregular racing heartbeat (may simply feel like it)

–       Sweating

–       Sense of impending doom

–       Fear of loss of control or death

–       Trembling or shaking

–       Shortness of breath

–       Tightness in your throat

–       Chills

Southend Psych is here as you navigate the complexities of today. Whether you have moderate to severe anxiety or are experiencing panic attacks and are under the advice of medical professionals, we can come alongside to offer support and help. Contact Southend Psych today to inquire about appointment availability and get on your way to a better understanding of your anxiety.

Southend Psychiatry 

Schedule your appointment today with one of our SouthEnd Psychiatry clinicians. Book your appointment online or call 1-800-632-7969 to get started today.

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