Anxiety Tests
October 14, 2008

Those with high anxiety levels can find anxiety medicine. Each anxiety disorder symptom is treatable-usually.

Anxiety is a major obstacle for millions of people around the world. It prohibits them from going to work; doing the things they love and enjoying the life itself. They cannot do what they love to do because of this debilitating disorder.

Believe it or not, there are thousands if not millions of people who live with anxiety without even knowing about it. They realize that something is not right, but they blame stress for symptoms such as;

not sleeping well,
nervousness,
sweaty palms, and
uncontrollable trembling.

Sometimes they have stronger symptoms such as;

there heart beats to fast or if feels like it has skipped a beat,
mood swings,
depression,
trouble concentrating.

Anxiety disorder is considered a permanent brain disease. One is that which is treatable not curable. It is astounding that there are no set medical tests that can be done to diagnose this disorder. However, the type of testing may vary from doctor to doctor. If you go to an M.D., you will be given blood and allergy tests, an EKG, and what every other tests he or she deems necessary. If you go to a mental health professional, you would be asked a series of questions for the diagnoses. And it is his discretion and interpretation which result in the diagnoses of Anxiety disorder.

Medication

Mental health professionals more often then not, prescribe medication for anxiety disorder without further testing. The symptoms certainly sound like anxiety disorder, but what if it is not? What if it is actually a physical ailment that the mental health professional is not qualified to diagnose? All too often, drugs are given for anxiety disorder when the patient should be sent to a medical professional or doctor. This creates more problems for the patient if they do not go to a medical professional, as the reason for the symptoms get worse.

The Anxiety Disorders Association of America confirms that anxiety disorder affects over nineteen million people every year. Experts estimate that over forty two million dollars each year is spent on anxiety drugs. In the opinion of some mental health professionals, if you have the symptoms, then it must be anxiety disorder.

Diagnosis

Although there are no set medical tests for diagnoses; but the patient should be referred to his or her primary care physician to rule out any physically problems. There are no laws that mandate this. It is at the mental health professional's discretion. Anxiety disorder is complex. It has many sub disorders within the name.

In part, this is what makes it so difficult to truly diagnose. There is generalized anxiety disorder, this being the most commonly diagnosed, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, meaning that the patient is obsessed with doing just one thing over and over again, Social Anxiety Disorder is associated with a person who cannot be around a lot of people. All of these are grouped under anxiety disorder. The mental health professional has a series of questions to ask for each one of these disorders.

For the millions of people who suffer from these disorders, it is grueling to get through day. They never know when an attack will happen and how severe it will be, although some people have lived with anxiety disorder for so long, that they are able to recognize the onset and take steps to minimize the effects.

The drugs that are available for anxiety disorder are made for specific symptoms. After taking the medication over a period of time, the patient develops a new set of problems. This more often then not will make the person have more anxiety over having to take more medication.

Similar Symptoms

There are disorders such as hypoglycemia that have the same symptoms of anxiety disorder. This is one of the conditions that can be treated with standard medical care. This is one of the biggest reasons why it is necessary create a plan where a physician must do a physical exam and then refer the patient to a mental health professional. More and more, primary care physicians are referring patient to mental health professional only after they have completed thorough tests to rule out anything physical.

Another ailment that mimics the symptoms of anxiety disorder is lead poisoning. This can be contracted through lead paint or through metal. There are clinics that hold mental health screening, in which people are screened for possible illness. The problem with this is that there is far too often a physical ailment that is diagnosed as anxiety disorder. Another problem with the screening is that when the test is administered to children in an uncontrolled atmosphere, there is some doubt as to whether on not the answers are truthful. It is terrifying to learn that any number of life threatening illnesses can be mistaken for Generalized Anxiety disorder GAD.

The American Academy of Family Physicians state that eight percent of children who have food allergies are diagnosed with anxiety disorder and are medicated for it. The disorder defined by muscle tension, sweating, nausea, cold, clammy hands, difficulty swallowing, jumpiness, gastrointestinal discomfort or diarrhea. Psychiatrists focus on mental disorders and not the physical disorders that can be treated.

What to do

Anyone who experiences the symptoms of Anxiety disorder should seek a qualified medical opinion immediately. If you are already on medication for anxiety disorder, and you feel that there may have been a mistake made, it is your right to seek a second opinion. The mental health professional would in most cases encourage you to seek the second opinion to ease your mind. Anxiety testing is not a proven science, there are break through every day.

Protocol for Anxiety Testing

It has become necessary to institute protocol when it comes to anxiety testing. Far too often it has become the easy diagnosis, and our children are taking medication when it may not be needed. Our children are our future, and with so many children on medication for anxiety, what does that say about us?

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