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begin to diagnose your problem. This will help the doctor figure out how to fix it. That’s why it is very important to tell your doctor the truth. Some of the doctor’s questions might be embarrassing. For example, consider the stomachache again. You might not want to admit that you ate a bag of candy the night before. But that information is important. The doctor needs to know about the candy, or her diagnosis will be wrong. Everything said above about stomachaches is true for mental disorders, too. Finding the Cause Before a doctor diagnoses a mental disorder, other problems must be ruled out. For example, a breathing problem called asthma can cause symptoms that might feel similar to anxiety. So can heart problems. In fact, there are many physical problems that can look and feel like anxiety. Even too much coffee or soda can make people jumpy. Your doctor probably will check for these problems first. If you are healthy in all other ways, it will be time to talk about mental causes of anxiety. Your doctor will ask questions like: • How often do you feel anxious? • What does it feel like in your body when you are anxious? • Does a specific event or place make you feel more anxious? • Is there anything you do to help the feelings go away?

Opposite page: A mental health professional asks

questions to try and figure out the cause of a patient’s anxiety.

The doctor is not trying to be nosy. He needs this information to understand what type of anxiety you have.