Anxiety Treatment

Although everyone experiences feelings of anxiety at certain times, when feelings of anxiety become overwhelming or begin to interfere with one's daily life and relationships, an anxiety disorder may be diagnosed.MayoClinic.com: Generalized Anxiety Disorder Definition Anxiety treatment methods may include prescription medication, psychotherapy, or both.National Institute of Mental Health: Treatment of Anxiety Disorders Complementary and Alternative forms of therapy are also available which can help. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/anxiety-000013.htm

You can find below information on symptoms of anxiety, treatments for different types of anxiety, and types of anxiety disorders. There is also a section below that describes various alternative therapies that have been used for anxiety treatment. To help you understand one of the most popular treatment methods, a video on cognitive behavioral therapy is featured. Other resources on this page include relevant links, a twitter section on anxiety treatment, and news and blog sections.

1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder - The most prevalent form of anxiety. Affects 5% of citizens of the United States. Those who have this condition have lived for 6 months or more in a constant state of anxiousness that is out of proportion to their situation. Personality traits include conformity, lack of self-confidence and perfectionism. The stress may cause physical disorders, particularly those of the gastrointestinal type. http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/what_anxiety_disorders_000028_1.htm Treatments that do not involve drug therapy include mindfulness training, a method that has been studied and advanced by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a professor emeritus from the University of Massachusetts. http://www.temple.edu/newsroom/2009_2010/11/stories/Anxiety.htm Therapists also can combine this training with Cognitive behavioral therapy for treatment of anxiety. Therapists also can combine this training with Cognitive behavioral therapy for treatment of anxiety. <ref>http://www.cbs.columbia.edu/rabgay_slides.pdf
2. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder- Those who have OCD experience undesired impulses, images, ideas or thoughts which they believe they don't have control. These obsessions motivate people with OCD to compulsive behaviors, or to do some action repeatedly in order to relieve the anxiety. About 2% of U.S. citizens have this disorder which appears to run in families. ref>http://www.hmc.psu.edu/healthinfo/no/ocd.htmz</ref> Both prescription drug and behavioral therapy are recommended treatmentshttp://www.nd.edu/~wsettle/OCD_Lecture_2003.html
3. Panic Disorder - Sudden physical stress symptoms occur, such as breathing difficulties, nausea, trembling, lightheadendness or a racing heartbeat. Thoughts of losing control or dying occur. There is often an obsession as to when the next panic attack will occur. Agoraphobia is avoidance that is caused by this disorder. http://psychiatry.stanford.edu/research/panic.html Therapies that are in common use include cognitive-behavioral therapy and medications. Avoidance of beverages that have caffeine is recommended. http://psych.med.nyu.edu/conditions-we-treat/conditions/panic-disorder
4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - A condition which occurs as a result of experiencing a perceived life-threatening situation. Symptoms may be similar to anxiety or depression. Treatment methods include a combination of strategies like medications, such as SSRI's or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, cognitive behavioral therapy and patient education and debriefings regarding the specific stressor event. http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000901/1035.html
5. Phobias - Some adolescents are treated with a combination of cognitive therapy and medications. Counseling with families is recommended. http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/UVAHealth/peds_adolescent/phobia.cfm
6. Social Anxiety Disorder - see the related Mahalo Page Social Anxiety DisorderAnxiety Disorders Association of America: Statistics and Facts About Anxiety Disorders

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - featured in the video below
2. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
3. Self-Instructional Therapy
4. Schema-focused Therapy

• Drowsiness
• Problems with coordination and balance
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Nausea
• InsomniaMayoClinic.com: Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatments and Drugs

A variety of alternative therapies have been found to be useful in treating anxiety. These are listed below.

Nutrition and Exercise

1. Exercise - Exercise confers an increased ability to withstand stress. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VB8-41V2TG3-2&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1123620838&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=c806a6ba3340114da7c548574d403ae2
2. Diet - Eating a healthy diet helps keep the body strong. Avoiding things which stress the body, such as alcohol, caffeine and tobacco. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/anxiety-000013.htm
   
   

Herbal Remedies

1. Valerian - visit the mahalo page for Valerian Root to learn the details on how to use this herb.
2. Passion flower - has been shown in more than one study to have equivalent effectiveness as benzodiazepine sedatives.
3. Other herbs: Kava kava, chamomile, licorice. Both kava kava and licorice need to be used with care as they can cause health problems under certain conditions.
   
   

Alternative Medicine

1. Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques - Acupuncture, acupressure, qigong and tai chi all have practices that address anxiety and stress reduction. http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.aspx?Id=8175 http://www.altmd.com/Articles/Qi-Gong-for-Anxiety Qigong breathing methods exist for teaching you how to relax your breathing and condition yourself to relax. http://www.qigonghealingarts.org/qigong-exercises/qigong-breathing
2. Ayurvedic Medicine - herbal prescriptions for this disorder are available. http://www.niam.com/corp-web/Anxiety.htm
3. Yoga - There are postures and mindful breathing exercises that help. http://holisticonline.com/remedies/Anxiety/anx_yoga.htm
4. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction - This program, developed by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, has been helpful to many and his scientific research has established its usefulness. See the Mahalo page Mindfullness Meditation

The content on this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact a physician for information on anxiety.