Been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and feel unsure about what that really means for you?
Steps for cultivating healing after a psychiatric diagnosis.
Key points
- A psychiatric diagnosis helps to guide treatment—it is not a person’s identity.
- Understanding medication options is important to ensure proper and appropriate treatment of anxiety.
- Building coping skills through therapy and education can help diagnosed individuals manage anxiety disorders.
It can be uncomfortable to receive a psychiatric diagnosis. Upon being diagnosed, one might naturally think, “Does this mean I am broken? How do I cope with this, and what do I do now?” Anxiety disorders are relatively commonly experienced (there are 12 specific anxiety diagnoses listed in the current edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that 19.1 percent of adults in the U.S. experience an anxiety disorder in a given year. If you are one of the many adults who have received this type of diagnosis, here are some key points to understand as you consider how to move forward.
Related: The Power Of Art Therapy For Anxiety Management : 6 Techniques That Bring Relief
Information vs. Identity
Psychiatric diagnosis is not an exact science—a diagnosing clinician makes their best, most educated guess based upon a patient’s reporting of symptoms. It is neither bulletproof nor conclusive, the way an X-ray or an MRI might be. With this in mind, it is important that the diagnosed individual interpret the diagnosis not as their identity, but rather as information for proceeding.
Instead of “I am anxious,” we might change the language to sound something like, “I experience anxiety.” Unfortunately, many individuals misinterpret psychiatric diagnoses as immutable and permanent labels; they are anything but—they are an admittedly inexact way to classify and categorize symptoms.
Nonetheless, they can be helpful in formulating a course of treatment. But the key takeaway here is that if you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, you do not become that diagnostic label; it is merely a clinical name for what you are experiencing, and it informs how you can cope and what type of treatment might help.
To Medicate or Not to Medicate?
It is a myth that anyone struggling with anxiety must be medicated. While medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), benzodiazepines, and anxiolytics may help curb symptoms related to anxiety, they are not necessarily right for everyone.
The best course of action is to consult with a prescriber who specializes in psychiatric medications if you are considering a medication intervention (these might include psychiatrists or psychiatric nurse practitioners). It is vital that your prescriber fully understands your symptoms, their effect on your daily functioning, and your medical history, and that you advocate for yourself as you consider a medication intervention to ensure safe and effective treatment.
The More You Know
Because anxiety thrives on the unknown, it can be helpful to educate yourself on how anxiety works. The more you demystify it, the more you begin to gain a sense of control over it. So, the diagnostic label becomes an opportunity to learn the why, when, and how of the anxiety you experience. Whether through therapy or self-education or both, the more you build up a knowledge base on the inner workings of anxiety, the less its negative effect on your life.
When I was initially diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, I wanted to understand more. I read a plethora of books on the subject, from the classic (The Meaning of Anxiety by Rollo May) to the Buddhist (Fear by Thich Nhat Hanh) to the clinical (Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders by Aaron Beck) to the scientific (The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk) to the popular (Unwinding Anxiety by Judson Brewer).
This literary exploration truly helped me to gain a sense of understanding, which, in turn, allowed me to better recognize triggers, manage my anxiety-related symptoms, and attach definitions and meanings to what I was experiencing and what had previously felt completely mysterious.
Psychotherapy and Skill-Building
My own anxiety diagnosis resulted in my first experience in therapy. I was not yet a therapist myself and had never been in a therapy session. I did not know what to expect or if it would even help. In hindsight, it was an immeasurably useful experience. My therapist helped me with everything from understanding anxiety as a general concept to understanding my own personal type of anxiety to teaching me ways to soothe myself and to cope adaptively. It was a game-changer for me, and I have continued with my own therapy ever since.
Even if you (like me) have never had therapy before or are skeptical about it, it is worth trying as a further support to help you navigate the complexities of an anxiety diagnosis. Credentialed professionals who typically treat anxiety include psychologists (PsyD/PhD), clinical social workers (LCSW, LMFT), professional counselors (LPC), and mental health counselors (LMHC).
Read More Here: 14 Easy Self-Care Habits That Will Help You Feel Less Anxious Every Day
Hope vs. Resignation
Last but certainly not least, if you have received an anxiety diagnosis, hopefulness is vital to your healing. Remembering and believing that you are resilient, that you are more than a diagnostic label, and that you are deserving of support and help must be part of your journey.
While it can be tempting to throw our hands up and say “it is what it is,” anxiety can be understood, coped with, managed, and lessened. I conclude my book Understanding and Coping with Illness Anxiety with this: “wherever you are in your healing journey, keep moving forward.… To those who have just begun their healing journey: without a first step, there can be no further steps. Small progress is still progress.”
To find a therapist near you, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.
References
National Institute of Mental Health. “Any Anxiety Disorder.” www.nimh.nih.gov, National Institute of Mental Health, 2024, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder.
Lane, Phil. Understanding and Coping with Illness Anxiety. 2023. Routledge
For more info, you can read: https://www.phil-lane.com/copy-of-about
Written by: Phil Lane, MSW, LCSW
Originally appeared on Psychology Today
Leave a Comment