Anxiety Treatment Center in Alexandria

Learn more about anxiety treatment at Longleaf Hospital in Alexandria, LA

Anxiety disorders are a category of mental illnesses that are characterized by irrational and exaggerated worry that can impact all areas of an individual’s life. While it is completely normal to have periods of stress throughout one’s life, those with an anxiety disorder experience severe fear and anxiety on a continual, regular basis, and it impacts their daily functioning. Symptoms of anxiety disorders manifest in both the body and the mind, causing damages to your physical and emotional health, and often limiting your ability to interact with others.

Many times, children, adolescents, and adults who have an anxiety disorder are unable to determine the exact cause of their worry, which can only exacerbate the problem. Not knowing when or if another bout of crippling anxiety will occur can lead to even more distress. At Longleaf Hospital, we understand how troubling and exhausting it can be to live in a world where you feel chronically stressed and fearful about what the day may hold. Our programming is designed to help you develop the tools and strategies you need to free yourself from anxiety and live a life with less worry.

Helping a loved one get treatment for anxiety

It can very difficult to witness a friend or loved one struggle with anxiety while being unsure of what to do to help him or her. However, getting help for an anxiety disorder can make all the difference, and in the end, encouraging a loved one to get into treatment is one of the best things you can do. As you prepare to have a discussion with your loved one about seeking care, please consider the following important steps:

• Learn as much about anxiety disorders as you can so that you will have the knowledge to be able to have an informed conversation about it.
• When you approach your friend or loved one, make sure that you truly listen to what he or she is saying and never invalidate his or her feelings. Assure your loved one that you are there to listen and offer heartfelt support.
• If your friend or family member does decide to get treatment, take the time to help him or her conduct some research about local behavioral health centers or clinics that treat anxiety.
• As you are able, offer to accompany your loved one to an appointment and evaluation, and let him or her know that anxiety disorders are manageable with professional care.

Throughout this time, be sure to take your own health and well-being into consideration. Take time for yourself to do activities that you enjoy, and be sure you are getting proper amounts of rest and nutrition, as supporting someone suffering from mental illness requires considerable strength. In doing so, you will have more energy to devote to helping your loved one.

Why consider treatment for anxiety at Longleaf Hospital in Alexandria, LA

Sadly, without properly attending to anxiety and getting the treatment needed, the symptoms of the condition will likely only get worse. Anxiety can reach a point where it becomes all-consuming, and often, children, adolescents, and adults with anxiety disorders will have a decline in work or school performance, have to avoid certain places, or become unable to leave the house. Eventually, this can lead to social isolation, and some individuals turn to substances such as alcohol or drugs to self-medicate their symptoms, only leading to further problems.

Fortunately, inpatient treatment at a quality clinic, center, or hospital is very effective for treating anxiety disorders, allowing you to learn better coping strategies and identify triggers that might be making your anxiety worse. Through empirically-validated treatments and proper medication management, you can successfully recover from your anxiety disorder.

The staff at Longleaf Hospital is dedicated to providing high-quality services that serve individual, family, and community needs while providing an atmosphere that promotes healing. We are committed to delivering the most effective treatment modalities and medical practices while providing the space you need to overcome your anxiety disorder.

Types of anxiety treatment offered at Longleaf Hospital in Alexandria, LA

Located in Alexandria, LA, Longleaf Hospital is the area’s leading provider of individualized psychiatric care for children, adolescents, teens, and adults who are suffering from anxiety disorder and a host of other conditions. Having recently completed a full upgrade of clinic facilities in 2015, Longleaf offers a tranquil setting in which to heal. Our hospital is set amongst a peaceful wooded area, but is easily accessible off of highway 28 near the Alexandria Coliseum.

At Longleaf Hospital, we seek to provide the highest level of psychiatric care while treating each child, adolescent, and adult. Our program’s mission is to support long-term success for patients both during treatment at this clinic and after they return home. This is accomplished through the work of our expert team of highly qualified mental health and medical staff who are committed to providing dignity in treatment and to empowering patients to lead healthy, productive lives.

Patients who come to Longleaf may be struggling with a wide variety of psychiatric concerns, and treatment for anxiety disorder will consist of various supports that are tailored to address each patient’s unique strengths and challenges. For adult patients who are struggling with a co-occurring substance use disorder in addition to anxiety disorder, Longleaf is pleased to provide comprehensive care to address chemical dependencies of many types, including addictions to alcohol, benzodiazepines, heroin, opioids, marijuana, PCP, methamphetamines, cocaine, hallucinogenic, synthetics, and more.

Options for treatment at our clinic span the continuum of care, and include several options in order to provide the ideal treatment environment for every patient. We are also proud to offer specialized supports for active and retired military personnel and their dependents.

Upon admission, each patient is thoroughly assessed prior to beginning services at Longleaf, and a personalized plan of care is devised to encourage the most beneficial outcomes possible, no matter what level of care the patient is engaged in.

Short-term acute inpatient care is offered for children age 6 and above, adolescents, adults, and senior adults. In this setting, patients can receive a variety of supportive services designed to help them overcome symptoms of anxiety disorder, including:

• Medically assisted, supervised detoxification programming
• Motivational enhancement therapy (MET)
• Rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT)
• Medical services from nurse practitioners and doctors
• 12-Step based services
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

In addition to the treatment modalities listed above, all children, adolescents, and adults who seek care at Longleaf will have access to the following therapies:

• Medication management: If an individual’s symptoms can be effectively treated with prescription medications, our team can include medication management services into his or her personalized treatment plan. All medication decisions will involve the input and consent of the individual in treatment and/or his or her parents or guardians.
• Family therapy: Family therapy is offered twice weekly and is designed to engage a patient’s loved ones in his or her recovery journey, to heal damaged relationships, and to increase the functionality of the family unit.
• Group therapy: All patients at Longleaf will have many opportunities to participate in group therapy. Offered daily, this intervention is used to help patients learn from each other, and to combat the sense of isolation that is common amongst those suffering from the symptoms of mental illness, including anxiety disorder. Group discussions are varied but could include topics such as anger management, impulse control, coping skills, and discharge planning.
• Individual therapy: Master’s level social workers provide this one-on-one service to allow all patients to process issues from the past and present that have contributed to the onset of symptoms of anxiety disorder. In this private, confidential setting, individuals can discuss the challenges and successes that arise in treatment, and make a plan for continued success after leaving Longleaf.

At Longleaf Hospital, we are proud to have a long history of providing superior service to active duty military members, veterans, and their families. Our military support efforts are led by our medical director, a retired Army colonel who works closely with all military members who heal at Longleaf. We do not have a specialized treatment track for military members, but we ensure that the unique issues and challenges that are experienced by members of the military community are addressed in each patient’s personalized treatment plan, and we place a premium on ensuring that all military-affiliated patients receive the customized care that will best prepare them for long-term success.

In addition to Longleaf Hospital’s acute inpatient care program, the partial hospitalization program (PHP) is another option for support that is available to adult patients age 18 and above. PHP at Longleaf, which typically spans a time period of 2 to 6 weeks, has been proven successful in addressing anxiety disorder. This option is suitable for patients who require a high level of support, but who are able to return to their home environments in the evening.

Programming within this level of care is based on 12-Step ideology, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and motivational interviewing. Medication management is also available within PHP at Longleaf, and patients can meet with a psychiatrist twice per week while in this program. Individual, family and group therapies are also provided, as well as thorough discharge planning.

The least acute option for care for anxiety disorder at Longleaf Hospital is the intensive outpatient program (IOP). This form of support can be used as a step-down level of care from other programs, or for adults age 18 and above who do not require a higher level of care. Typically lasting 8 to 12 weeks, IOP at Longleaf consists of medication management services and various time-tested therapeutic techniques designed to address symptoms of anxiety disorder.

Get more information about treatment for anxiety

The admissions staff at Longleaf is available to speak with referral sources and prospective patients and their families 24/7. Upon contacting Longleaf, a licensed intake counselor can provide an initial assessment, and answer any questions that you may have about healing at our hospital. The decision to seek care for anxiety disorder may be a difficult one, but the compassionate professional team at Longleaf Hospital in Alexandria, Louisiana, is here to ensure that you find the very best support for yourself or a loved one.