Treatment of Anxiety

Treatment of Anxiety disorders can be quite distressing and often requires therapy.

Treatment of Anxiety

Firstly, The treatment of anxiety is the most critical aspect of treating this condition is educating the patient and their family. This is especially important for panic disorders, where patients may experience sudden attacks without warning.

Moreover, The symptoms of an anxiety attack may resemble those of a heart attack or other medical conditions. It is important to educate both patients and their families about these symptoms.

If medical conditions such as high blood pressure, irregular heart rates, rhythms, or an overactive thyroid are present, appropriate medical treatment may be necessary.

Psychotherapy and medication management are used in therapy to achieve adequate day-to-day functioning by the patient. (1-5)

Psychotherapy for Anxiety

There are various types of psychotherapy available, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, anxiety management therapy, and applied relaxation therapy.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Secondly, A psychotherapist can provide cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to patients who are committed to the treatment.

Patients who undergo a combination of CBT and medication have shown better responses than those who receive the usual treatment.

Typically, around 10 to 20 visits to the therapist are required over a few weeks. For panic attacks, 12 to 16 sessions over 3 to 4 months may be necessary.

These sessions focus on recreating fear symptoms and helping patients change their response to them.

For children with OCD, CBT is the preferred form of therapy.

In addition, The treatment teaches patients to identify and handle stress factors better, decrease the sense of helplessness, and avoid speculating that minor worries may turn into bigger problems.

Relaxation techniques will also be taught. For OCD, the techniques used are exposure and response prevention (ERP).

For patients with PTSD, psychological treatment will focus on the trauma with exposure therapy, cognitive therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing.

Patients will be advised to lead a healthier lifestyle with regular exercise, adequate rest and sleep, and a balanced and healthy diet.

Their instructors will teach them to steer clear of consuming excessive amounts of caffeine, illicit drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes.

Family and social interactions can also help lessen the impact of mental health conditions.

Anxiety management therapy

Anxiety management therapy is a highly effective approach that involves education, relaxation training, and systematic exposure to anxiety-provoking stimuli.

Unfortunately, there currently exists no effective technique to combat anxiety through reconstruction.

Applied relaxation therapy

Applied relaxation therapy is a technique that helps the patient relax each part of their body. It aims to decrease stress levels and encourage relaxation.

The therapy consists of 12-15 hour-long sessions spread across multiple sittings and has proven to be effective.

Medication therapy for Anxiety

There are different types of medication therapies available for treating various mental health conditions. Some of the commonly used medications include antidepressants, benzodiazepines, SNRIs, and others.

Antidepressants

Antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, escitalopram, paroxetine, and sertraline – are effective treatments for panic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.

Most cases show improvement within 3-4 weeks, while OCD cases may take 8-12 weeks.

Start the medication with low doses and increase gradually to higher levels.

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines such as clonazepam, lorazepam, alprazolam, and diazepam have been historically used to treat anxiety disorders.

Short-term management often includes concurrent use of benzodiazepines and CBT or SSRIs.

Patients and doctors prefer SSRIs to benzodiazepines for anxiety disorders because they tolerate them better, face a lower risk of addiction and dependence, and experience long-term benefits.

Withdrawal from short-acting benzodiazepines such as alprazolam can cause rebound anxiety, making them less desirable.

Treatment for specialist groups

However, Anxiety disorders can lead to negative consequences and medical complications that affect certain groups of people more than others. Additionally, individuals in these groups often have other mental health conditions that require immediate attention and treatment. This includes individuals struggling with substance abuse as well as those who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or other respiratory or heart conditions.

Pregnant women and elderly individuals are more susceptible to health risks.

Patients with substance use disorders may abuse benzodiazepines, and medical experts generally consider these drugs unsafe for use during pregnancy.

Lastly, Some patients may require a combination treatment of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

Anxiety disorders can be difficult to cure and may recur throughout life. However, most patients respond well to medication and behavioral therapy.

Sources:

• www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/…/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
• https://www.bbc.co.uk/
• https://www.umms.org/
• https://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Anxiety/Pages/Treatment.aspx