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- What are anxiety disorders?
- Symptoms of anxiety disorders
- Causes of anxiety disorders
- Prevention of anxiety disorders
- Risk factors for anxiety disorders
- Complications of anxiety disorders
- When to see a doctor about an anxiety disorder
- Diagnosis of anxiety disorders
- Conventional treatment of anxiety disorders
- Alternative/complementary treatment
- Living with an anxiety disorders
- Caring for someone with an anxiety disorder
Diagnosis of anxiety disorders
Anxiety disorders are initially diagnosed through the following tests:
- Medical history - the doctor will ask a series of questions about your symptoms: when they occur, how often, severity and duration, as well as when did the symptoms start, if any event triggered the symptoms and even if you drink coffee/energy drinks heavily as this can cause anxiety symptoms
- Physical examination - the doctor may also check your breathing and heart (with a stethoscope) for a general view of their health
If your doctor thinks you may have an anxiety disorder, s/he may send you to get an evaluation from a psychologist or psychiatrist to confirm the condition and to determine your treatment.
There are a number of other tests that can be done to check for an underlying reason for the symptoms, that may not be related to an anxiety disorder:
- Blood tests - there are a number of conditions (some are serious) which present with anxiety symptoms, so they need to be ruled out. In addition to this, deficiencies in certain nutrients can present with anxiety and these should be tested in the blood too (iron deficiency)
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< 7:when to see a doctor 9:conventional treatment > Last reviewed: 21 August 2007 || Last updated: 3 January 2009
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NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
