Neurologist Said I Have Anxiety, Should I Get More Tests?

My neurologist said I have anxiety. Should I get more tests?

Anxiety Question

I am still worried about my anxiety symptoms coming and going even though I have seen many doctors, including a neurologist. In the medical section, you state a “CT Scan, MRI, and EEG (electroencephalogram) if your doctor wants to rule out health conditions related to the head, brain, and body. I only had a CT Scan and my neurologist said everything was fine and that it was stress and anxiety related. Just having a CT Scan? Was that enough? Should I have had all three (CT Scan, MRI and EEG)?

Answer

Since your neurologist said your symptoms were related to stress and anxiety, you can feel confident your diagnosis is accurate. Neurologists are trained to differentiate stress and anxiety-caused symptoms from those caused by real neurological conditions. General practitioners typically aren’t as knowledgeable, which is why they might order additional tests just to be sure. But since you’ve seen a neurologist - who specialize in neurological disorders – there’s no reason to be concerned about something being missed.

The fact that your neurologist didn’t send you for more tests tells you that he/she is certain about the diagnosis.

However, if you are still unconvinvced that your diagnosis is correct, you can get a second or more opinions. But if all opinions agree, their diagnoses are correct. Therefore, you can put your concerns to rest.

If you are still having difficulty with worry, consider connecting with one of our recommended anxiety disorder therapists. Working with an experienced anxiety disorder therapist is the most effective way to overcome anxiety disorder and its symptoms, including what can seem like unmanageable worry.