Anxiety Treatment (A 3 point guide)

The current blogspot will focus on the question “what is anxiety treatment?”. We will learn the various treatment options available to treat anxiety. We will also discuss each treatment option in detail?”. 

What is anxiety treatment?

As the name suggests anxiety treatment refers to the treatment of disorders, symptoms or  features that are related to anxiety . These majorly include fear, phobias, worry, apprehension, sleeplessness. The prominent features of anxiety are as follows :

• restlessness, and a feeling of being “on-edge”
• uncontrollable feelings of worry
• increased irritability
• concentration difficulties
• sleep difficulties, such as problems in falling or staying asleep

The majorly diagnosed anxiety disorders as per the criteria of Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders includes the following disorders :

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Selective Mutism
• Panic disorder
• Specific Phobia
• Agoraphobia
• Social Anxiety
• Separation Anxiety Disorder

If anxiety is left untreated, the persistent worry and constant nervousness often makes it difficult for the individuals to carry out the  routine activities. Following are the majorly used treatment options for anxiety :

• Self management
• Psychotherapy and Counseling
• Psychotropic Agents

Self management

The self management treatment for anxiety is based on small steps that can be taken by individuals to curb down the anxiety. Self management enables the individuals undergoing anxiety to take hold of their anxiety triggering events and manage the triggers in order to reduce their anxiety so that they may carry their routine life easily.

The self management anxiety treatment is based on :

• Stress management

 The stress management for treating anxiety is based on managing the stress provoking triggers. The key to stress management for treating anxiety is based on identifying the triggers that provoke the stress and anxiety response. Being organized regarding the anxiety triggers, approaching them in a manner that feels less burdened and managing emotions related to the triggers can certainly help to reduce the anxiety in an individual. 

• Social support  is another technique to manage anxiety and stress. Social support is based on talking to friends and sharing unpleasant thoughts or feelings for venting out the inner build of negativity that forces an individual to think negatively
• Relaxation techniques are based on yoga, breathing exercises and meditation. Relaxation techniques help individuals to overcome the physical symptoms of tiredness and muscular tension related to anxiety, tension and nervousness.
• Positive thinking is a technique for managing the anxiety yourself. Usually people feel anxious because they are thinking in negative patterns. The negative thinking about past and future often tends to create feelings of numbness, apprehension and constant worry. Inorder to overcome the negative feelings, it is suggestible for people to think positive in their routine life.
• Physical exercises are a way to manage and control anxiety. The physical exercises help us to channelize our negative feelings and release neurotransmitters that promote psychological well-being.

Psychotherapy and Counseling

Psychotherapy and counseling for treating the anxiety patients is based on seeking professional support from a counselor or a psychotherapist. The counseling and psychotherapy are treatment options for anxiety as they are based on psychological assessment of clients suffering from anxiety. 

The counselors and psychotherapists use different types of approaches to treat the anxiety clients that include the following  : 

• Cognitive behavior therapy

The cognitive behavior therapy for treating anxiety disorders is based on the identification of distorted thought patterns that are at the base of the negative thought patterns that are a source of anxiety origins. The cognitive behavior therapy helps clients to overcome their unpleasant feelings of constant worry and apprehensions by managing their vicious cycle.

• Play and art therapy

The play and art therapy is mostly used in cases where anxiety is related to any past event that the individual still experiences in the form of flashbacks in life. The play and art therapy are two approaches that tend to reduce the anxiety outcome of various traumatic events by approaching them in a non confronting way.

• Psychodynamic approach is based on the various experiences of the unconscious mind that are suppressed in our minds. It uses the psychoanalytic approach to manage anxiety in routine life.The client’s are often confronted and debated about the anxiety response to let them get out of their comfort level.
• Dialectical behavior therapy is a therapeutic approach based on introducing mindfulness activities to the patients. We usually feel anxious due to thinking alot about our past or future. Mindfulness teaches us to focus on here and now. Thus by being present focused, we are able to adjust our routine life activities without being anxious.

Side Note: I have tried and tested various products and services to help with my anxiety and depression. See my top recommendations here, as well as a full list of all products and services our team has tested for various mental health conditions and general wellness.

Psychotropic Agents

The anxiety features and symptoms often need to be treated using psychotropic agents that tend to balance the neurotransmitters in our body. A psychiatrist is usually consulted to start treatment with the help of psychotropic drugs.the psychotropic agents mostly used to overcome anxiety include the following: 

• Antidepressants including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic drugs and monoamine oxidase
• Bupropion
• Benzodiazepines
• Beta Blockers

Usually psychotropic agents combined with counseling and psychotherapy yield the best results for anxiety patients.

What we recommend for curbing Anxiety

Below are some of the services and products we recommend for anxiety

Online Therapy

• Online therapy is another thing we should all try. We highly recommend Online therapy with a provider who not only provides therapy but a complete mental health toolbox to help your wellness.

Anxiety Weighted Blankets

• Anxiety Weighted Blankets are by far the number 1 thing every person who suffers from anxiety should at least try. Anxiety Blankets may improve your sleep, allow you to fall asleep faster and you can even carry them around when chilling at home.

Light Therapy

• Amber light therapy from Amber lights could increase the melatonin production in your body and help you sleep better at night.  An Amber light lamp helps reduce the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep and increases overall sleep quality.

Frequently asked questions : anxiety treatment

How do you self treat anxiety?

You can self treat anxiety by :

• Talking to a friend
• Discussing it with your support group
• Try to identify and manage your triggers
• Take care of your physical health
• Journaling your anxious thoughts
• Complementary and alternative therapies

Can anxiety be cured?

Anxiety is a psychological state that can be managed with proper treatment. Taking psychotherapy and psychotropic drugs can help us to deal with routine anxiety in a less harming and triggering manner.

What is the preferred treatment for anxiety?

Cognitive behavior therapy is the most widely used treatment for anxiety. Research has proven cognitive behavior therapy to be effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders including fear, phobias and generalized anxiety disorder.

What is the first line treatment for anxiety?

The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are first line treatments considered to manage anxiety symptoms among humans.

Citations

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9536-anxiety-disorders

https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety

https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-disorders

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9536-anxiety-disorders

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323454