Anxiety

Anxiety can make your mind race, your body tense, and everyday tasks feel harder than they should. Nexa Psychiatry & Wellness in Austin, Texas, led by Emma Smith, APRN, PMHNP-BC, and Chad Johnson, APRN, PMHNP-BC, helps patients understand their triggers and build practical coping strategies. They offer thorough evaluations, personalized medication management when appropriate, and coordinated support to improve sleep, focus, and daily functioning. If you have anxiety, schedule an appointment to get answers and a plan that fits you by calling Nexa Psychiatry & Wellness today or booking online.

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a common mental health condition that can make you feel worried, tense, or on edge, even when nothing is obviously wrong.

You might notice symptoms such as:

• Racing thoughts
• Irritability
• Trouble concentrating
• A constant feeling that something bad could happen
• Fast heartbeat
• Tight chest
• Stomach upset
• Sweating
• Shaky hands

If anxiety keeps you from doing normal activities such as work, school, sleep, relationships, driving, or leaving home, it’s time to reach out.

You may also want support if you rely on alcohol, constant reassurance, or avoidance to cope with your anxiety, or if you feel exhausted from holding it together every day.

Seek emergency help right away if anxiety comes with thoughts of self-harm, you can’t stay safe, or you feel out of control.

What types of anxiety are there?

Anxiety comes in different forms, including:

• Generalized anxiety (ongoing worry about everyday life)
• Panic attacks (sudden surges of extreme fear)
• Social anxiety (fear of judgment)
• Specific fears like arachnophobia (fear of spiders)

Anxiety can also overlap with conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which can make symptoms feel more intense.

What causes anxiety?

Anxiety usually comes from a mix of factors, such as:

• Brain chemistry
• Genetics
• Stress levels
• Sleep habits
• Medical conditions
• Life experiences

Trauma can also increase your baseline stress response, keeping your body in alert mode far longer than necessary.

The Nexa Psychiatry & Wellness team in Austin, Texas, takes time to understand your symptoms, triggers, and daily routines. They ask about sleep, mood, focus, substance use, and past experiences, including trauma.

They also look for related conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, PTSD, ADHD, or schizophrenia when symptoms overlap.

What treatments assist with anxiety?

Many people find their anxiety symptoms improve with counselling approaches like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).

Therapy teaches you practical coping tools and skills to challenge anxious thoughts and handle triggers more confidently. Medication can also help by reducing constant worry, panic symptoms, and physical tension.

Nexa Psychiatry & Wellness offers telepsychiatry, providing access to care from anywhere. That can make it easier to start treatment, especially if anxiety makes appointments feel stressful.

For expert help overcoming anxiety, call Nexa Psychiatry & Wellness and request an appointment or use the online booking feature to schedule a consultation.