9 Great Questions To Ask Your Psychiatrist For Anxiety

If you struggle with anxiety, consulting a psychiatrist could be a highly beneficial option.

If you suffer from anxiety, meeting with a psychiatrist for anxiety can be an excellent option to consider. While your psychiatrist will ask you a myriad of questions to help them determine a complete diagnosis, patients also are encouraged to ask questions of their physician, as this can help you determine which doctor is the best fit for your needs. Here are a few questions you might ask a psychiatrist at the beginning of your mental health journey.

1. Can You Describe Your Experience Treating Anxiety?
Most psychiatrists will treat anxiety disorders, after all, anxiety and depression are the two most commonly diagnosed mental disorders. However, as a patient, it can bring you peace of mind to hear your physician talk about their experience treating anxiety and some doctors do specialize in the treatment of anxiety.

Even if your doctor specializes in treating many disorders, this is not a red flag. Many patients have co-occurring disorders so it’s good to have a psychiatrist or therapist with experience treating multiple mental health disorders. It’s not uncommon at all to find a psychiatrist that works as a depression psychiatrist, PTSD psychiatrist or perhaps a bipolar psychiatrist along with treating anxiety.  

2. What Types Of Anxiety Disorders Can You Treat?
Again, some anxiety psychiatrists will specialize in specific types of anxiety disorders, and there are several different types, including:

• Social Anxiety Disorder
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Agoraphobia
• Panic Disorder
• Separation Anxiety Disorder
• Selective Mutism
• Specific Phobia

Additionally, some patients will experience anxiety due to a medical condition or perhaps due to a co-occurring substance use disorder. As a patient, you may feel more comfortable with psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists who have experience with your specific anxiety disorder(s).

3. What Treatment Options Do You Typically Recommend?
In many cases, the best treatment is a combined approach that includes different types of talk therapy as well as collecting strategies to help deal with anxiety-inducing situations as well as the general anxiety of day-to-day life. Additionally, treatment for anxiety disorders also often includes prescribing medications, as these often can reduce symptoms of anxiety significantly.

As a psychiatrist for anxiety, I can prescribe medication for my patients. Psychologists and therapists are mental health professionals that can provide valuable talk therapy, but they are not medical doctors and cannot prescribe medications.

I typically recommend that you find a provider that is open to many different treatment options. There’s no one-size-fits-all treatment plan for patients with anxiety, so it’s smart to select someone who bases their treatment plan squarely on the individual rather than providing the same options for every patient.

4. Can You Explain The Benefits & Risks Of Medication?
Taking medication for an anxiety disorder or any condition can be scary, but it’s more comfortable when you have a full understanding of the risks, benefits and potential side effects. Keep in mind, that with anxiety and depression medications, it can take time to find the best medication and the correct dosage for your needs.

Additionally, if you have co-occurring disorders, such as anxiety and bipolar disorder or perhaps depression and anxiety, we will need to find medications that can be used to manage all of your conditions and that also can take time.

Feel free to ask your doctor to explain everything from the potential side effects to the key differences between various anxiety medications. Patients who have a full understanding of their mental health condition as well as understanding the treatment options (both therapy and medications) tend to have the best results.

5. How Do You Determine The Best Treatment Plan?
As a psychiatrist for anxiety, I find that the best treatment plans evolve from a comprehensive diagnosis. Our initial meetings will include a deep dive into all of the mental health issues you are facing. As both a medical doctor and a mental health practitioner, I also look at your total physical health. Physical health can have a profound effect on mental health, so it’s smart to look at solutions that help both the mind and the body.

6. Do You Incorporate Therapy?
I would be skeptical of an anxiety psychiatrist who did not recommend some type of therapy for their patients. Medications certainly can be beneficial, but therapy also is crucial so if your psychiatrist doesn’t recommend any type of therapy, I tend to recommend finding a different doctor.

It’s important, however, to note that many psychiatrists do not provide services such as cognitive behavior therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, exposure therapy or general counseling. Psychiatrists often focus on diagnosis and the development of treatment plans, but they should recommend different types of talk therapy as part of this plan.

7. Do You Offer Telepsychiatry?
Even if you’d prefer to meet with your doctor in person, it can be wise to select a doctor that offers both options. Selecting a provider that serves as a virtual psychiatrist offers you a higher level of convenience. For instance, driving through traffic to the doctor can be anxiety-inducing, to say the least, and telepsychiatry helps you avoid this stress.

Additionally, if you are unwell or perhaps out of town, you can still meet with your doctor from anywhere in the world. All you need is a good internet connection, and you can meet using your smartphone, a tablet, laptop or PC. If you are uncertain about this option, keep in mind, that the American Psychiatric Association has given their stamp of approval to this treatment option.

Furthermore, telepsychiatry can be a good option to consider if you are experiencing feelings of shame or guilt about your condition. It can be easier to simply meet with a doctor in the convenience of your home rather. If you are worried that people will see you at the psychiatrist’s office, meeting virtually is a good option.

While there should be no shame in seeking treatment for any mental health condition, I know that many people feel weak or embarrassed by their mental health issues. Truly, though, mental health disorders are no different than any other medical condition and absolutely are not a sign of weakness. They are simply medical conditions that are usually treatable. Still, if you have these worries, telepsychiatry can offer you a more anonymous lifeline into treatment.

I work both as a local psychiatrist and as an online psychiatrist. For instance, if you need a psychiatrist in Simi Valley or a psychiatrist in Thousand Oaks, we can meet in my office. However, if you live outside of this area or perhaps prefer telepsychiatry, I can accommodate this option.  

8. Are There Lifestyle Changes That You Recommend?
While therapy and medication can be beneficial, there usually are some lifestyle changes that also will help reduce the symptoms of an anxiety disorder. For instance, your doctor might recommend daily outdoor exercise as this often can reduce anxiety as well as help you combat depression. Additionally, your doctor might recommend trying meditation to help or dietary changes to ensure optimum health, etc.

9. What If The Initial Treatment Isn’t Effective?
This is a great question! In some cases, the first treatment options we try might not be the perfect fit for your needs. The important thing is to find providers that are willing to try new options if the first round doesn’t work. In some cases, you might simply need to find a different therapist and in other cases, you might switch medications or try a different type of therapy, such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) or another approach.

Contact Dr. Jesalva Today!
As a psychiatrist for anxiety as well as many other mental health disorders, I can provide you with a comprehensive diagnosis and a treatment plan that addresses all of the issues you are facing. Whether you’ve been searching for a psychiatrist in Simi Valley, Westlake Village or Thousand Oaks or prefer telepsychiatry, give me a call and let’s get you on a path toward a happier, easier life.