You can get a lot of good, free information here: https://jamiekoufman.com/

If I were you I would stick to the low acid, whole food diet for a few months. Dr. Koufman and Dr. Aviv have versions of the diet. Pick one. There is a FB group with lots of recipes based on Aviv's version: https://www.facebook.com/groups/199013402360712.

I would also keep a food diary and see if any food triggers an attack (the attack doesn't have to happen immediately, which makes the diary more important so you can track .

Other things you can do is sleep with your head elevated; if you are a side sleeper, do it only on your left side to decrease the odds of an acid/pepsin attack. Eat three meals with snacks in between, with the meals being smaller than you may be used to. Try an alginate to create a plug in your stomach to keep acid in place; good to use before bedtime. Other people have found that manukah honey and aloe vera helps them. There are some videos online touting breathing exercises for mitigating GERD. Some people buy OTC h2 blockers like Pepcid to help them (short-term). And follow the adage of chew your food very well. Digestion begins in the mouth.

In short, you have a lot of tools at your disposal that you can experiment with on your own and track what works for you. Don't expect immediate results. It took time for the condition to develop to its current state and it will take time to heal. And yes, some people have to stick with these changes for the rest of their life.

If you go to a doctor, you will probably be prescribed medications for GERD. These are higher doses than the OTC versions. You have to decide whether you want to go that route. Sometimes it's good to do meds short-term to quiet down the GI tract. Be aware that some doctors will tell you to stay on the drugs forever. My neighbor has been doing that for 15 years no problem. I did that for 4 years and developed kidney disease and daily diarrhea and B12 deficiency. If you opt for long-term meds, my two cents is to make sure your doctor regularly monitors you for side effects via blood tests. And care for your bones, because there are some studies suggesting an increase in bone fractures with long-term use.

They may also prescribe a drug for your stress. You are correct that anxiety can worsen reflux.

This is a difficult condition to manage. It is overwhelming and a PITA that GERD/LPR is split between two specialties. I find eating the more frequent, smaller meals difficult because I am exercising sometimes two or three times a day, and exercise can spur an attack. The type of food and timing becomes a puzzle those days that I am slowly putting together. I chew sugarless gum a lot to manage exercise reflux, or take an alginate before exercising.

One more thing: Holistic doctors will tell you to drink filtered water. I have finally switched to that and found that it does help. Be aware that some filtering systems leave the water acidic, in which case you have to add a pH balancer. Or you can buy a system that both filters and makes the water alkaline. It is the only water I drink.

Be kind to yourself. Literally take a deep breath. Lots of people have this condition and are confused and overwhelmed until they find their footing. I wish you well.