Treatment Specialties > Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety Disorders

Understanding Anxiety: What is Anxiety Disorder?

While most people experience anxiety from time to time, individuals with anxiety disorders experience persistent, excessive worry that can interfere with daily life. Occasional anxiety is a normal, and even healthy, response to stress or danger. For example, it’s common to feel nervous about public speaking or uneasy when hearing a knock at the door late at night.

However, when anxiety becomes chronic, disproportionate, or begins to disrupt daily functioning, it may be a sign that additional support is needed. For instance, if your internal experience mirrors the intensity of public speaking while simply talking with a friend, your anxiety may be operating outside of a typical stress response.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition in the United States, affecting more than 40 million adults. Symptoms may begin in adolescence or adulthood and can develop gradually or be triggered by a specific event. While anxiety disorders can affect anyone, women are approximately twice as likely as men to be diagnosed.

Common Anxiety Symptoms

Ongoing feelings of apprehension or dread

Anxiety that interferes with daily functioning or feels out of proportion to everyday situations

Avoidance of situations that trigger distress

Feeling constantly “on edge,” restless, or easily startled

Anticipating the worst or remaining hyper-aware of potential threats

Physical tension, such as tight muscles or frequent headaches

Changes in sleep, including difficulty falling or staying asleep

Difficulty concentrating or feeling mentally scattered

Physical symptoms such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, gastrointestinal issues, sweating, tremors, or fatigue

Comparison

Understanding The Differences: Generalized Anxiety and Panic Disorder

Generalized Anxiety

Individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) often experience chronic fear, worry, and overwhelm about even the most ordinary activities or events in their life. They may struggle to focus, complete everyday tasks, or control their physical and emotional reactions to their anxiety. Treatment for GAD can be effective and may help reduce symptoms such as:

Excessive and uncontrollable worry, persistent overthinking or rumination, difficulty tolerating uncertainty, irritability, and feeling mentally overwhelmed.
Restlessness, fatigue, muscle tension (including headaches or body aches), trembling, sweating, lightheadedness, and difficulty falling or staying asleep.
Difficulty concentrating or feeling as though the mind “goes blank,” avoidance of situations that increase anxiety, or increased reassurance-seeking

Panic Disorder

Individuals with Panic Disorder experience recurrent, unexpected panic attacks: sudden surges of intense fear or discomfort that reach a peak within minutes. These episodes are often accompanied by overwhelming physical sensations and fears of losing control or being in danger. Between attacks, many individuals live with ongoing concern about when the next panic episode will occur. Treatment for Panic Disorder can be effective and may help reduce symptoms such as:

Sudden waves of intense fear or terror, fear of losing control or “going crazy,” fear of dying, and persistent worry about future panic attacks or their consequences.
Racing or pounding heart, shortness of breath or feeling smothered, chest pain or tightness, dizziness or lightheadedness, sweating, shaking, chills or hot flashes, nausea, and numbness or tingling.
Avoidance of places or situations associated with panic attacks, changes in routines to prevent symptoms, reassurance-seeking, or reliance on “safety behaviors” (such as staying near exits or avoiding being alone).

treatment

Our approach to treating Anxiety Disorders

True Life Center treats anxiety disorders through an integrative approach that addresses psychological, physiological, and relational factors. We prioritize safety and symptom stabilization, teach skills to regulate the nervous system, and support gradual reengagement with daily life, relationships, purpose and joy.

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Why Choose TLC for Healing Anxiety Disorders?

Rigorous outpatient program with structured support

Individualized, person-centered treatment plans

Integrative clinical team across disciplines

Cohesive model of care addressing mind, body, and relationships

High ratio of one-on-one therapy sessions

Trauma-informed bodywork and somatic interventions

Support for sleep, nutrition, and restorative movement

Psychiatric and medical oversight when indicated

Ongoing therapy and support for loved ones

how we heal

Evidence Based Modalities We Use To Heal Anxiety Disorders Include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Identifying and reshaping unhelpful thought patterns to support lasting change.

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Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Helping build compassionate relationships with all the parts of onseself.

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Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

Strengthening emotional bonds and communication within important relationships.
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Biofeedback

Using real-time body data to build awareness and self-regulation skills.

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Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Cultivating present-moment awareness to reduce stress and emotional reactivity. Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions About Our Program

Wondering what to expect? You’re not alone. We’ve got answers—and we’re here to talk through anything you’d like more information about.Contact Us, we’re here.

Does True Life Center Accept Insurance?

As part of our commitment to delivering exceptional and integrative mental health care, True Life operates as a private pay treatment provider, however, many of our patients receive partial reimbursement through PPO insurance plans.

Each patient and family works directly with our concierge billing specialist, who submits courtesy claims and superbills to insurance on patients’ behalf, prepares and provides all required documentation for out-of-network claims, advocates for the maximum allowable reimbursement, and coordinates authorizations and doctor-to-doctor calls when necessary. Most importantly, our specialist provides transparency, accessibility, and ease to you along the treatment journey.

What Types of Care Are Included in The Program?

True Life Center offers an integrative mental health program combining carefully selected modalities from both Eastern and Western disciplines. Our approach brings together therapy, psychiatry, somatic practices, and lifestyle-based interventions under one coordinated plan. For an overview, please see our Complete Care Model graphic, or visit our Interventions page for a detailed breakdown of specific services.

What Mental Health Conditions Do You Treat?

True Life Center supports adults navigating a wide range of mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, trauma, neurodivergence, grief and loss, chronic pain, life transitions, and more. Our integrative approach addresses not just the diagnosis, but the full experience of each patient. Visit our Treatment Specialties page for a complete list and to learn more about how our program can be tailored to your needs.

How Can I Get Started?

Starting your journey at True Life Center is simple. You can reach out via our confidential form, or give us a call and a dedicated team member will reach out to guide you through the process, answer your questions, and help schedule you for a tour or initial assessment. Thanks to our boutique size, we are typically able to accommodate new patients quickly, so you can begin care without delay.