How Can Anxiety Be Treated?

Anxiety conditions can be very difficult to live with, and have a profound effect on how someone wants to live their life. Therefore, seeking treatment is very important.

The good news is however, that with the right treatment and support, the majority of people with Anxiety will be able to make a full recovery.

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety: Anxiety in its simplest form is a feeling of being worried, afraid, or generally tense – usually in anticipation of an imminent event, or a predicted event. Anxiety is a perfectly natural emotion, with the vast majority of people going through periods of anxiety in their life. However, for some people anxiety is a constant problem which can be hugely detrimental to their quality of life. Anxiety can easily impact someone’s ability to live their life as they would hope to. Worrying can sometimes get out of control, making it near-impossible to live life in a healthy way. This typically leads to impairment in several different areas of life. The term ‘Anxiety’ can be applied to a host of mental health conditions, with Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder just two of many conditions.

Anxiety Treatment

Treatment for each sub-type of anxiety differs. But in general, treatment will include:

Self-help

Many people find that anxiety lessens with a combination of factors based around self-help. Meditation or mindfulness are great ways to relax and ease fears.

Avoiding alcohol and caffeine too have proven benefits for coping with anxiety. Regular exercise, along with a healthy diet, can all help too. Regular sleep, and joining a local discussion group are two other useful methods.

Talking Therapy

Often, a form of talking therapy is used. These may include:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): CBT is a type of therapy that is used to treat a range of mental health conditions. CBT involves an individual talking face-to-face with a therapist, although sometimes CBT can be conducted in a group setting. CBT attempts to improve an individual’s wellbeing and mood. The therapy focuses on the link between thoughts, feelings and actions. This can be useful for those with low self-esteem, anxiety, unhelpful personality traits or intrusive thoughts. CBT can help an individual understand their feelings more, and in the long run should lead to an improvement in quality of life.

Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy: Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy is a talking therapy that aims to help uncover and resolve unconscious beliefs that cause psychiatric conditions. Traumatic experiences that may or may not be buried in the unconscious mind can be highlighted and processed. Psychoanalytical psychotherapy involves talking to a trained therapist. The therapist can show the individual how early memories and past traumas have affected their thinking, behaviour and attitude in the modern day. Psychoanalytical psychotherapy is especially useful for any condition that involves past trauma. Renowned neurologist Sigmund Freud developed this therapy, which is typically completed over a long-term basis.

There are a range of other types of talking therapy, aside from the above.

Medication

In moderate to severe cases of anxiety, medication could be prescribed. Normally, an antidepressant will be used, though this isn’t always the case. Pregablin is an alternative. Meanwhile, Benzodiazepines can be prescribed in severe cases.

Antidepressants: Antidepressants can help to improve and regulate mood. They should improve motivation and restore energy. SSRI Antidepressants are the most commonly prescribed. They act on the brain chemical serotonin – which is thought to help in regulating mood and emotion. They may include side-effects such as a dry mouth, sexual problems and nausea, though these should hopefully be short-term. Other classes of antidepressants are available in the event of an inadequate reaction.

Pregablin: Pregablin is an anticonvulsant medicaiton used to help those who suffer from Epilepsy. Pregablin is also licensed to treat some forms of anxiety. Pregablin will generally be taken for a long-term period, and can be particularly useful when an individual doesn’t respond well to antidepressants.

Benzodiazepines: Benzodiazepines are fast-acting sedatives, which can relax an individual and improve their mood. Any anxiety should fade rapidly upon consumption. The individual should therefore have an improved level of functioning. Benzodiazepines cannot be taken for more than a few weeks, due to acute risk of both physical and psychological dependence.

Other

There are also some alternative and complimentary treatments that offer a different approach to the above types of treatment.

Summary

It can be difficult to cope with an anxiety condition. However, there are plenty of options for treatment.

The aim is for full recovery. Finding a treatment that works is important, whether this is therapy, medication, or anything else.

See Also

• What Are The Different Types of Anxiety?
• What Are The Symptoms of Anxiety?
• What Are The Causes of Anxiety?
• How is Anxiety Diagnosed?
• How Can Anxiety Be Treated?
• What is the Prognosis for Anxiety?
• 10 Tips for Living With Anxiety