“How does a doctor diagnose anxiety?”

Anxiety is not a diagnosis. There are many anxiety disorders. WE DIAGNOSE by asking questions.

The answer to your question will depend on the training and orientation of the Dr. If the Dr believes that anxiety is simply a biological disease he or she will mainly be interested in what kind of symptoms you have and the pattern of those symptoms. These patterns are described as Separation Anxiety, Phobias, Social Anxiety, Panic, Generalized Anxiety, etc. In many cases, a Dr. will prescribe a medication to reduce your anxiety. Other Drs such as myself are much more interested in what is happening in your life that has resulted in anxiety so that we can help you change the circumstances that have caused it.