Treatment and Prevention
Doctors use a two-pronged approach to manage anxiety disorders, based on
the belief that the condition is part physical and part psychological in nature.
Certain medications can help control anxiety, including some types of
antidepressants (the serotonin reuptake inhibitors, in particular) and
anti-anxiety agents (benzodiazepines). For a small number of people,
benzodiazepines can be habit-forming. An alternative treatment is psychological
interventions, including specific effective psychotherapies such as cognitive
therapy or exposure therapy.
With cognitive therapy, irrational fears are challenged in a logical fashion.
Exposure therapy involves confronting the object of the fear. This may need
to be done slowly. Exposure therapy works best for specific phobias (like fear
of spiders or flying) which often don't respond to medications.
Many people with anxiety benefit from lifestyle modifications, including the following approaches:
- Determine the cause of the anxiety and confront it (for example, if money
is a worry, develop a budget).
- Reduce caffeine consumption.
- Reduce alcohol consumption.
- Reduce or stop smoking.
- Practice relaxation techniques.
- Exercise regularly.
- Gain perspective by talking about your feelings with someone close or
a professional counselor.