Anxiety disorder is a medical condition that various health professionals can treat. Thus, the question of can a general physician prescribes anxiety medication gets answered this way. For better and expected outcomes, you should start these treatments at the earliest.
Effective treatment of an anxiety disorder requires you to be completely open and honest with your doctor and trust the doctor treating your condition to feel comfortable with them. Do not think you are stuck with the first doctor you see. If you are not satisfied with them, you should see someone else.
Who can Treat Anxiety?
Various doctors and specialists may be able to help manage your anxiety. You and your doctor should work together to treat your disorder; otherwise, it would not be fruitful. However, an excellent place to start is with your primary care physician.
Primary Care or General Physician
Your primary doctor will conduct a complete physical examination to determine if another condition is causing your symptoms. Symptoms of anxiety can be due to the following:
- Hormonal imbalance
- Side effects of medications
- Certain illnesses
- Various other conditions
If your physician rules out other conditions, your analysis may be an anxiety disorder. They may suggest you to a mental health professional, like a psychologist or psychiatrist, in such situations. A referral is particularly suitable if your anxiety is severe or is followed by another mental health condition, such as depression.
Psychologist
A psychologist is a health professional who can help get you to the root cause of your anxiety and make necessary behavioral changes. Such health professionals can offer psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy or counseling. This type of therapy may be helpful, particularly if you have experienced trauma or abuse. Moreover, depending on the region you live in, your psychologist may prescribe medications for your depression because some cities in the world do not allow psychologists to prescribe medicine.
Your treatment by a psychologist will possibly be in combination with any ongoing therapy by your primary doctor. Psychotherapy and medication are often used collectively to manage anxiety disorders.
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a medical doctor/instructor with specialized training in diagnosing and treating mental illnesses. A psychiatrist has the authority to provide both psychotherapy and medication to treat your anxiety disorder in the best way.
Psychiatric Nurse
Psychiatric nurse practitioners give primary mental health care to people seeking therapy for various mental health conditions. These health professionals can diagnose and treat people with mental illnesses, including prescribing medications. Ony a few medical students go into psychiatry; psychiatric nurse practitioners assume more and more psychiatric care.
Preparation for Doctor’s Visit
It is a good idea to be prepared beforehand to make the most out of your visit to the doctor. Take a few minutes out of your day to recollect about what you need to tell your doctor and what questions you want to ask. The best way to guarantee you do not forget anything important is to write it all down on a notepad or phone app.
Important Things to Tell your Doctor
The information you provide will help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis of your condition. Following are some of the things that you should not forget to tell your doctor:
- Make a list of your symptoms and when the time they began. Note when your symptoms transpire, how they influence your life, and when they are mild, manageable, or worse.
- Write down any significant stresses in your life, as well as any traumas that you may have experienced, both past and present.
- Write down all of your health conditions, including mental and physical.
- Make a list of all medications and supplements you are taking currently or have taken in the past. Include how many doses you take and how often.
It is also important that you list any other substances you use or consume daily, such as:
- coffee
- alcohol
- tobacco
- drugs
- sugar, especially if you eat large amounts
Treatment
Therapy for treating diagnosed anxiety is usually multi-disciplinary. It means you may see one or all of the following medical practitioners:
- primary care physician
- psychologist
- psychiatrist
- psychiatric nurse practitioner
- support group
You should contact your general practitioner first. Thus, for people who ask can a general physician prescribe anxiety medication: yes, they can. You should be ready to describe the following when you contact your general physician:
- your symptoms
- when they occur
- what seems to trigger them
Your general physician may refer you to other medical practitioners who can start treating your symptoms or any underlying cause.
