How to Get Treatment for Anxiety
You can start anxiety treatment with a primary care provider or go directly to a mental health professional such as a psychiatrist. Treatment for anxiety usually means talk therapy, medication, or both, chosen around your needs, preferences and medical situation.
What Is the Treatment for Anxiety?
Treatment for anxiety usually involves psychotherapy (also called talk therapy or counseling), medication, or both.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says finding the best treatment may take trial and error, and both therapy and medication can take some time to work.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a research-supported type of psychotherapy that NIMH says is commonly used to treat anxiety. It helps people notice automatic ways of thinking that are inaccurate or harmful and then question those thoughts. MedlinePlus adds that CBT may include exposure therapy, which focuses on confronting your fears.
When medication is part of a plan, NIMH names certain antidepressants as a class that health care providers may prescribe, and says they may take several weeks to start working. MedlinePlus says to work closely with your provider to find the right medicine, and that you may need to try more than one before you do.
When Should You Get Help for Anxiety?
You should get help when anxiety keeps coming back or does not go away and starts causing problems at work, at home or in your relationships.
NIMH says that if your anxiety starts to cause problems in everyday life, it is time to seek professional help. For panic attacks, MedlinePlus says to contact your provider if they are interfering with your work, relationships or self-esteem.
Who Can Treat Anxiety?
In California, psychologists cannot prescribe medication, while psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners can.
| Provider | Named by NIMH as someone to talk to about anxiety symptoms | Can prescribe in California | What the sources say |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary care provider | Yes | Not stated | Can perform an initial mental health screening and refer you to a mental health professional (NIMH) |
| Psychologist | Yes | No (California Board of Psychology) | Licensed on a doctoral degree in psychology or a related field (California Board of Psychology) |
| Clinical social worker | Yes | Not stated | Not stated |
| Psychiatrist | Yes | Yes | Not stated |
| Psychiatric nurse practitioner | Not stated | Yes | A registered nurse with a graduate psychiatric nurse practitioner degree who assesses, diagnoses, treats and can prescribe |
You do not have to start with a psychiatrist. Your insurance company can tell you which local providers your plan covers, and SAMHSA’s FindTreatment.gov is a free, confidential and anonymous locator for mental health treatment in the United States.
Guides on psychiatric nurse practitioners and psychiatrists and on what a psychiatrist does go further.
What Happens at an Anxiety Evaluation?
An anxiety evaluation is a conversation in which a clinician asks about your symptoms, history and daily life and may check whether a physical problem is behind them.
NIMH says a provider may ask when your symptoms began, how long they have lasted, how often they occur, and how they affect your life. A provider may also conduct a physical exam, and MedlinePlus says lab tests may be part of it too, to make sure a different health problem is not the cause. Thyroid problems and heart rhythm problems are examples the sources give.
At PsychBright, the first psychiatric evaluation typically takes 45 to 60 minutes. At PsychBright, your clinician is a board-certified psychiatrist or a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner working under psychiatrist supervision and clinical oversight, and asks about your symptoms, history and goals.
At PsychBright, the evaluation covers what brought you in and how it affects your daily life, your mental health history, your current symptoms and how long you have had them, your medical history and medications, previous treatment, family history, and safety.
At PsychBright, care is by video, so the mental status exam is done through conversation, not a physical examination. At PsychBright, your clinician then works out a plan with you, which may include medication only if it is clinically appropriate after the full evaluation, and follow-up appointments by video. At PsychBright, nothing is prescribed automatically.
At PsychBright, to prepare, have a list of the medications you take, including over-the-counter ones, and choose a private, quiet place for the video call. At PsychBright, the first psychiatry appointment is a full psychiatric evaluation.
How Are Panic Attacks Treated?
Treatment for panic disorder typically involves psychotherapy, medication, or both.
NIMH describes a panic attack as a sudden wave of fear or discomfort, or a sense of losing control, even when there is no clear danger or trigger. A single panic attack is not a mental disorder, and not everyone who has one develops panic disorder. Panic disorder involves recurrent, unexpected attacks along with ongoing worry about future ones.
The physical symptoms can include a pounding or racing heart, sweating, trembling, difficulty breathing, chest pain and nausea, and NIMH says they might feel like a heart attack. MedlinePlus says a panic attack may be mistaken for a heart attack. A provider may check whether an unrelated physical problem is causing the symptoms, for example with a physical exam, blood tests or heart health tests.
For panic disorder, NIMH says CBT teaches different ways of thinking, behaving and reacting to the feelings that happen during or before a panic attack. Exposure therapy is a common CBT method that focuses on confronting the fears and beliefs tied to panic symptoms. When medication is used, NIMH names certain antidepressants, which may take several weeks to start working.
What If Anxiety Feels Like an Emergency?
If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988, and in a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline connects you with a trained crisis counselor and provides 24-hour, confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. You can also chat at 988lifeline.org. Veterans can call 988 and press 1.
How Do You Start Anxiety Treatment at PsychBright?
At PsychBright you can request an appointment directly, by phone or through the site.
At PsychBright, the intake team verifies your plan and your benefits before the first appointment and confirms a time, and you receive a secure video link with nothing to download. At PsychBright, the first appointment is a full psychiatric evaluation, and new patients are usually seen within five business days (same-week availability). At PsychBright, you are told who you are booked with before the appointment.
At PsychBright, telepsychiatry is by secure video for adults 18 and older anywhere in California. At PsychBright, clinicians are California licensed, and you can be seen as long as you are physically located in California at the time of your appointment. At PsychBright, adults are treated for anxiety disorders among other conditions. To get started, call (213) 584-2331.
Frequently asked questions
Can anxiety be treated without medication?
NIMH says treatment usually involves psychotherapy, medication, or both, so medication is not always part of the plan.
Can a primary care doctor treat anxiety?
NIMH names a primary care doctor as someone to talk to about anxiety symptoms. A primary care provider can perform an initial mental health screening and refer you to a mental health professional.
Do I need a referral to start treatment?
At PsychBright you can request an appointment directly, by phone or through the site, and the team lets you know before your visit whether your plan needs a referral or prior authorization. The insurance details explain how coverage is checked.
Can you get anxiety treatment online in California?
At PsychBright, care is by secure video for adults 18 and older anywhere in California, and you can be seen as long as you are physically located in California at the time of your appointment.
What illnesses can feel like anxiety?
Some physical health conditions, such as thyroid problems or heart rhythm problems, can be linked to anxiety. A provider may check for these with a physical exam and sometimes with blood or heart tests.
How long does anxiety treatment take?
NIMH says finding the best treatment may take trial and error, and both psychotherapy and medication can take some time to work. NIMH suggests asking a provider how long they expect treatment to last, and not stopping treatment without talking to your health care provider.
Do I have to take medication if I see a psychiatrist?
At PsychBright, an evaluation is not a commitment to a prescription.