Anxiety Test in 5 Steps

There is no specific test for anxiety, but there are some general steps that a doctor will use to test for the condition. The following five steps are most commonly used as an anxiety test. Your doctor will go through the follow steps to make his diagnosis about whether or not you have anxiety.

Step One: Identify Symptoms

Your doctor will begin the anxiety test by discussing your symptoms with you. Anxiety has some very specific symptoms. Your doctor is looking for you to explain these common, distinct symptoms. This is an important step because if you are not exhibiting the classic symptoms then chances are your test will end here.

Step Two: Physical Exam

The doctor will want to rule out any physical condition which could be producing anxiety like symptoms. Your doctor will probably do a full physical exam, including taking your medical history in this part of the anxiety test.

Step Three: Lifestyle Examination

Sometimes your lifestyle can lead to the development of anxiety symptoms, so your doctor will want to discuss your lifestyle and possible habits you may have. The intake of caffeine or even smoking can bring about anxiety symptoms and simply cutting down or cutting out these substances can eliminate your symptoms without further treatment. This can also assist the doctor when developing a treatment for your symptoms once the test is complete.

Step Four: Psychiatric Evaluation

If you have went through the other steps in the anxiety test and your doctor thinks you do have anxiety then he will continue with a psychiatric evaluation. During this stage of the anxiety test he will talk with you about the symptoms you are having in order to learn more about when they started, what triggers them and how severe they are.

Step Five: Comparing Test Results to Determine Diagnosis

After all the other steps of the anxiety test have been completed you doctor will take all the information gathered and use it to make a professional diagnosis of anxiety based upon the guide provided by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The criteria for making a formal diagnosis of anxiety include:

Once the anxiety test is complete your doctor will speak with you about the results. If he determines that you do suffer from an anxiety disorder then you will begin to work on treatment. Treatment most often includes therapy to help you learn to overcome symptoms and manage your anxiety.

It is important that throughout the process of the anxiety test that you are completely honest with your doctor. Never hide facts or keep things from him. Without all the information he cannot make a proper diagnosis. Anxiety is something that cannot be tested for with blood work or physical exams. It is a mental disorder so the only true way to test for it is to gather information from you. The more honest you are, the more likely it will be that you will end up with a proper diagnosis.