Anxiety Treatments

Anxiety treatments are divided into two categories, namely, psychotherapy and medication. Both the types of treatments can be used to treat anxiety. Psychotherapy aims at relaxing the patient and talking to him, so as to help him manage his stress and anxiety. The patient is given relaxation techniques, cognitive-behavioral therapy, relaxation therapy and other things that can help him cope with stress. He is also taught how to get rid of his anxiety attacks using natural and/or medical means.

On the other hand, medication is often used to treat generalized anxiety disorder or GAD. The dosage is usually decided by a medical professional, based on the patient’s medical history, the severity of the case and his reactions to previous anxiety treatments. Medications that treat anxiety can be taken orally, through a nasal spray, by lozenges, syrups, tablets and through muscle relaxants. For severe cases, oral or injected sedatives may also be given to help in treating the condition. These medications may help you feel calmer and sleep better at night; however, they do not cure the illness itself.

In addition, most people who take these medications for anxiety feel some unpleasant side effects such as nausea, dizziness, disorientation or memory loss. This may be due to a medicine’s dose or to the actual chemical structure of the drugs. Scientific studies show that psychological treatments can indeed help people cope with their illnesses better. Moreover, there are also results of these treatments that may differ from person to person. However, most medications for anxiety do show significant improvements in patients with mild and moderate degrees of the illness.

Psychological treatments for anxiety generally deal with its cause, in addition to the possible stressors and situations that can provoke it. They teach the sufferer how to identify the symptoms of an attack and how to face it when it happens. The most common of these treatments is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This approach has been proven to work best for people who have a combination of anxiety disorder and social phobia. CBT is based on the idea that your anxiety disorder is a learned response to certain situations and your cognitive processes are responsible for deciding how and when to experience an attack.

Other approaches used in CBT include exposure therapy, which exposes the patient to panic situations gradually over time. For example, if a person is afraid of spiders but only experiences them when in a garden, he or she can learn to confront them in the garden instead. The goal is for the patient to learn to face his or her fears and gradually eliminate the fear of the situation. Another technique is to use relaxation techniques before a panic attack occurs. The theory is that the faster and deeper the breathing and relaxation, the less tense the person is and the less likely he or she will experience a negative response. Other techniques that have been tested with anxiety-related problems are Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, and Mindfulness Therapy.

Natural remedies for anxiety include herbal and botanical supplements, healthy lifestyle practices, and psychotherapy. These natural remedies are combined with lifestyle changes such as eating healthy and avoiding stimulants, drinking plenty of water, and getting enough sleep. Herbal supplements can include herbal teas, supplements, and other alternatives. And psychotherapy is used to help patients identify triggers and cope with negative thoughts and emotions.