Anxiety Treatment

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), anxiety is a mental health condition that impacts about 40 million adults in the United States each year. It is the most common mental disorder seen in the population and manifests due to a combination of factors dependent on genetics, brain chemistry, personality, life events, and other factors.

Although it is incredibly common, anxiety is highly treatable with the appropriate tools. At Hawaii Island Recovery, we provide treatment programs with multiple evidence-based therapies to empower you to face and overcome anxiety triggers and develop healthy coping mechanisms to lead a fulfilling life. We offer services to heal from substance use disorder (SUD) and other co-occurring mental illnesses, such as anxiety.

The signs and symptoms of anxiety can come in many shapes and forms, likely as a combination of emotional, physical, and mental feelings, such as:

What anxiety looks and feels like is different for everyone, which is why it’s important to discuss the symptoms with a mental health professional. A professional will be able to help you understand your anxiety and provide relief through appropriate treatment. 

When healing from experiences such as SUD and co-occurring mental health conditions like anxiety, it can be hard to tell which one came first. Nonetheless, developing an evidence-based, holistic anxiety treatment plan is essential to recovering from both.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is one of the most common anxiety disorders. GAD is a mental health condition characterized by the experience of a persistent and unrelenting feeling of worry, dread, and fear that interferes with the patient’s ability to cope with everyday life. The anxiety is present for long periods of time and normally is not caused by one specific event. While there might not be a single causative event or factor, certain situations, thoughts, or people can exacerbate it.

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a type of anxiety that tends to present itself with an intense fear of being watched, judged, or seen by others. People with SAD often experience stress in social situations, leading to a range of symptoms that might include stomach aches, accelerated heart rate, sweating, trembling, difficulty making eye contact, and hypervigilance around others.

Panic disorder is a type of mental health condition that appears when a patient has frequent and often unexpected panic attacks that appear for relatively no rhyme or reason. These attacks are usually present in the absence of danger or triggers. When facing a panic attack, an individual experiences feelings of impending doom, chest pain, racing heartbeat, sweating or chills, and a fear of losing control.

Phobias are intense aversions to objects and situations that are feared by the individual. The fear experienced tends to be extreme for the situation or object at hand. However, it does not feel this way for those experiencing phobia-related anxiety, even if they logically know the fear is irrational. 

These phobias could be related to:

It’s important to note that although these are seemingly safe, the brain registers them as fearful, causing anxiety for those living with this condition. In the presence of the feared object or situation, the individual may experience irrational and excessive worry, take steps to avoid the things that trigger them, and feel intense anxiety when encountering whatever it is that feels dangerous to them.

There are several treatment options for anxiety. At Hawaii Island Recovery, we treat anxiety disorders from a holistic and evidence-based perspective to ensure we are getting to the root of what is causing SUD with co-occurring anxiety. 

Our treatment center approaches healing from a whole-person perspective, meeting each individual where they are and considering their mind, body, and spirit. 

The therapies you may experience as part of your substance addiction and anxiety treatment program may include:

Because each person has different needs and desires based on where they are in their healing, various treatment programs and therapies will look different for each individual. At Hawaii Island Recovery, we value meeting each person where they are and creating an anxiety treatment plan that works for them.

Substance abuse disorder and anxiety often coexist and have a complex relationship that can exacerbate each other’s symptoms. It can be hard to tell which came first, anxiety or substance use, and this is why it’s even more essential they are treated in tandem. If you or a loved one is looking to begin treatment for SUD and anxiety, Hawaii Island Recovery offers premier addiction treatment services in Hawaii. 

At Hawaii Island Recovery, we know it can be challenging to attempt recovery alone. That’s why we have a team of mental health professionals with expertise in various treatment modalities and facilities designed to create a safe and comfortable environment. Our serene setting and evidence-based therapies have proven their efficacy in helping individuals achieve long-term recovery.

Let us help with our substance use treatment center that fulfills each of your needs for recovery. We are located on the beautiful Big Island of Hawaii and provide an individualized, evidence-based, and holistic approach to treatment that allows you to focus on your recovery while cultivating meaningful relationships and memories in one of the most serene places in the world.