How Are Anxiety Disorders Treated?

With millions of people worldwide coping with their condition daily, anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health conditions in the world. It is a condition where people experience intense tension and anxious thoughts that may or may not be triggered by a specific incident or situation.

The treatment for anxiety is quite extensive, and most of them work very well. Over time, the correct treatment can help you in reducing the impact of the condition extensively. It can help you reach a point where you can manage your anxiety symptoms without any external help or medication.

Having said this, what works for one person might not work for another. That's why it's important for you to work with a mental health professional who can help you find the best treatment plan for you. Some of the most common treatments include medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes.

In this post, we'll take a closer look at each of these treatment options and discuss how they can help you manage your anxiety disorders.

Types of Treatment For Anxiety Disorders

There are a few different types of treatment for anxiety disorders, and the one that's right for you will depend on the severity of your symptoms, your preferences, and what your mental health professional recommends.

• Psychotherapy: Also called talk therapy, this is when you meet with a therapist to talk about your anxiety and learn ways to manage it.

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): This is a type of talk therapy that focuses on transforming the negative thoughts and behaviours that contribute to anxiety.

• Exposure Therapy: This is a type of cognitive behavioural therapy that gradually exposes you to the things you're afraid of so you can learn to manage your anxiety.

• Medication: There are a few different types of medication that can be used to treat anxiety, including antidepressants, anti-anxiety medicines, and beta blockers.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is one of the most common and effective treatments for anxiety disorders. It involves talking with a therapist to identify and understand the thoughts, emotions, and behaviours that are causing your anxiety. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CBT is a type of psychotherapy that helps you identify and transform negative thinking and behaviours contributing to your anxiety.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is usually provided in weekly sessions by a trained mental health professional, such as a psychologist or a psychiatrist. Each session lasts about 60 minutes.

During CBT, you will work with your therapist to:

• Identify your anxiety triggers
• Learn how to manage and cope with your anxiety
• Challenge your negative thoughts and beliefs about yourself and the world around you
• Replace these thoughts with more realistic and factual beliefs
• Practice stress management and relaxation techniques to help you self sustain

CBT can be an effective treatment for all types of anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, and more.

Exposure Therapy

As mentioned earlier, exposure therapy is a form of CBT that can be very effective in treating anxiety disorders. Exposure therapy involves gradually exposing yourself to the things that you are afraid of in a safe and controlled environment. This can help you to learn that your fears are not as dangerous as you think they are and that you can cope with them.

Alternative Therapies

If you're looking for an alternative to medication, there are a few different therapies you can explore. A commonly used therapy that's gaining traction is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which is said to help with anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). During EMDR, you focus on an external stimulus while recalling a traumatic memory or thinking about your anxiety triggers. This could be done with eye movements, tapping, or audio stimulation.

Neurofeedback is a promising new type of therapy in which sensors are placed on your scalp to measure your brainwaves. The goal is to retrain your brain and reduce the symptoms associated with the condition. 

Medication

There are a few different types of medication that your psychiatrist might prescribe, depending on the severity of your concerns. The most common type of medication is antidepressants such as SSRIs, which can take a few weeks to start working. Other types of medication include anti-anxiety medication and beta-blockers.

Depending on the medication that your psychiatrist prescribes, there might be a few side effects that you should be aware of. For example, some people experience dry mouth, drowsiness, or headaches when they start taking antidepressants. If you're concerned about the potential side effects of the medication you are prescribed, make sure to talk to your psychiatrist before starting any medication.

If you're struggling with anxiety symptoms, it is important not to lose hope. With the right treatment, it is possible to get better. Talk to your psychiatrist or therapist about your options, and don't be afraid to try out different methods until you find one that works for you.