Anxiety Disorder Treatment in Colorado

An anxiety disorder is a mental health condition in which fear or worry becomes persistent, excessive, and disruptive to daily life, rather than a passing response to stress. Everyone feels anxious sometimes; anxiety becomes a disorder when it is out of proportion to the situation, difficult to control, lasts for months, and interferes with work, school, relationships, or health. The term covers several related conditions:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): pervasive, hard-to-control worry across many areas of life
• Panic disorder: recurrent panic attacks and fear of future episodes
• Social anxiety disorder: intense fear of social evaluation and embarrassment
• Specific phobias and situational anxiety

Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric conditions in the United States, and they respond well to treatment for many people. Dr. Stern treats the full range of anxiety disorders in adolescents and adults, in Fraser, CO and via telepsychiatry statewide.

The difference between an anxiety disorder and normal stress comes down to three things: proportion, persistence, and impairment. Normal stress is tied to a real situation, eases when the situation resolves, and does not stop you from functioning. An anxiety disorder tends to persist for months, feel out of proportion to actual circumstances, and be hard to switch off even when you know the worry is excessive. Warning signs worth taking seriously include avoiding activities you used to do, trouble sleeping or concentrating because of worry, physical symptoms like tension or a racing heart, and loved ones noticing you seem constantly on edge. Only a clinical evaluation can settle the question, and getting one is worthwhile either way.

Dr. Stern offers thorough psychiatric evaluations that clarify whether anxiety has crossed into disorder territory and what treatment, if any, makes sense for you.

OCD is no longer classified as an anxiety disorder; since 2013, the DSM-5 has placed it in its own category, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. The change reflects research showing OCD has distinct features: intrusive obsessions paired with compulsions or mental rituals, patterns not shared by conditions like generalized anxiety or panic disorder. That said, the separation is partly technical. Anxiety remains central to how OCD feels, the conditions frequently co-occur, and treatments overlap, with exposure-based therapy and SSRI medication playing major roles in both. The distinction matters clinically because OCD responds best to a specific therapy, exposure and response prevention (ERP), that general anxiety treatment may not include.

Dr. Stern treats both anxiety disorders and OCD, described further on this site's OCD treatment page, and can evaluate which is driving your symptoms when the picture is mixed.

For anxiety, both medication and therapy are effective, and for many people the combination works better than either alone. Research supports psychotherapies such as CBT as first-line treatment, with benefits that often persist after sessions end because you keep the skills. Medications, most commonly SSRIs or SNRIs, can reduce baseline anxiety enough to make daily life manageable and therapy more productive. The right choice depends on symptom severity, your history, personal preference, and practical factors like how quickly you need relief. This is not a decision to make alone; a psychiatric evaluation can weigh these variables and revisit the plan as you respond.

Because Dr. Stern provides both psychotherapy and medication management herself, often within the same appointment, her patients do not have to choose a medication path or a therapy path before knowing what will actually help.

CBT for anxiety typically takes several weeks to a few months to produce noticeable change, with many people improving within roughly 8 to 16 sessions. Some patients feel early relief simply from understanding their anxiety and having a plan; measurable symptom change usually follows as skills are practiced consistently. Speed depends on several factors: how severe and long-standing the anxiety is, whether conditions like depression co-occur, how regularly between-session practice happens, and whether medication is used alongside therapy. CBT is deliberately structured and time-limited, so progress is tracked, and if things are not moving, the approach can be adjusted rather than drifting for years.

In Dr. Stern's practice, CBT can be paired with medication management in the same visit, and her longer appointment times allow skill work and progress review without rushing either.

Yes, anxiety can be treated without medication, and for many people evidence-based psychotherapy alone is enough. Approaches with strong research support include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which targets the thought and behavior patterns that maintain anxiety; exposure-based methods that shrink avoidance; and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which builds a different relationship with anxious thoughts. Lifestyle foundations, sleep, exercise, and reduced caffeine and alcohol, also make a measurable difference for some people. Medication becomes worth discussing when symptoms are severe enough to prevent engagement in therapy, when improvement stalls, or when co-occurring depression complicates the picture; it is a tool, not a requirement.

Dr. Stern is trained in CBT, ERP, ACT, and psychodynamic therapy, so patients who prefer a therapy-first approach can pursue it with a psychiatrist who can also discuss medication honestly if it is ever needed.

Yes, anxiety treatment for teens is available in Colorado, including specialized psychiatric care for adolescents in Grand County and statewide via telehealth. Adolescent anxiety often looks different from adult anxiety: school avoidance, irritability, stomachaches and headaches, perfectionism, or withdrawal from friends and activities. Because the teenage years are when many anxiety disorders first emerge, early treatment can change a young person's trajectory, and evidence-based approaches like CBT are well studied in this age group. Effective care for teens usually involves parents to some degree, from understanding the treatment plan to learning how to respond to anxious avoidance at home without reinforcing it.

Dr. Stern completed a two-year child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at the University of Colorado and treats both adolescents and adults, in person in Fraser, CO and via telepsychiatry anywhere in the state.