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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou may start by seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, you may need to see a psychiatrist or psychologist if you have severe anxiety. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions. A psychologist and certain other mental health providers can diagnose anxiety and provide counseling (psychotherapy).
It may be best for you to start by seeing a medical doctor if you think your anxiety could be health related. A medical doctor will be able to check for signs of an underlying illness that may need diagnosis and treatment.
Because there's often a lot of ground to cover during your initial appointment, it's a good idea to be well prepared. Here's some information to help you get ready, and what to expect from your doctor or mental health provider.
What you can do
To be prepared for your visit, it can be helpful to think about a few things ahead of time, and write down some notes to take with you. Things to write down include:
- A list of your symptoms. Include what your anxiety symptoms are, when they occur and whether anything seems to make them better or worse. Also note how much they affect your day-to-day activities such as work, school or relationships.
- What's caused you stress. Include any major life changes or stressful events you've dealt with recently. Also note any traumatic experiences you've had in the past or as a child.
- Any other health problems you have. Include both physical conditions and mental health issues.
- A list of all medications you're taking. Be sure to write down the doses, and include any vitamins or supplements you take.
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. Some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- What's the most likely cause of my anxiety?
- Are there other possible situations, psychological issues or physical health problems that could be causing or worsening my anxiety?
- Do I need medical tests or other tests?
- Are there any restrictions or steps I need to follow?
- Should I see a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health provider?
- Would medication help? If so, is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What websites do you recommend visiting?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor will do a physical examination and ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over points you want to spend more time on. Some questions the doctor may ask include:
- Exactly what are your symptoms, and how severe are they?
- Have you ever had a panic attack?
- Do you avoid certain things or situations because they make you anxious?
- Have your feelings of anxiety been occasional or continuous?
- When did you first begin noticing your feelings of anxiety?
- Does anything in particular seem to trigger your feelings of anxiety or make them worse?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your feelings of anxiety?
- What, if any, physical or mental health conditions do you have?
- What traumatic experiences have you had recently or in the past?
- Do you regularly drink alcohol or use illegal drugs?
- Do you have any blood relatives with anxiety or other mental health conditions such as depression?
- Anxiety disorders. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed May 18, 2010.
- Hollander E, et al. Anxiety disorders. In: Hales RE, et al. Textbook of Psychiatry. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2008. http://www.psychiatryonline.com/content.aspx?aID=335698. Accessed May 18, 2010.
- Katon W, et al. Anxiety disorders. In: Rakel R. Textbook of Family Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/202053603-6/0/1481/624.html?tocnode=53395. Accessed May 18, 2010.
- Kercher EE, et al. Anxiety disorders. In: Marx JM, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..00110-9--s0025&uniq=202069582&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0. Accessed May 18, 2010.
- Hettema JM, et al. The structure of genetic and environmental risk factors for anxiety disorders in men and women. Archives of General Psychiatry. 2005;62:182.
- Hoffman EJ, et al. Anxiety disorders: A comprehensive review of pharmacotherapies. Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine. 2008;75:248.
- Roy-Byrne PP, et al. Anxiety disorders and comorbid medical illness. General Hospital Psychiatry. 2008;30:208.
- Lee RA. Anxiety disorders. In: Rakel D. Integrative Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/154207005-3/0/1494/57.html?tocnode=54111716&fromURL=57.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2954-0..50014-4_229. Accessed May 18, 2010.
- Saeed SA, et al. Herbal and dietary supplements for treatment of anxiety disorders. American Family Physician. 2007;76:549.
- Donker T, et al. Psychoeducation for depression, anxiety and psychological distress: A meta-analysis. BMC Medicine. 2009;7:79.
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