Some Anxiety Treatments
The main forms of anxiety treatments that I have found are psychotherapies, medications and the combination of the two.
I have been searching for the various ways for attacking anxiety. I am not a doctor nor do I claim to be one, this is a collection of my own research findings. My reason for wanting to learn more was my mother-in-law, who suffered with anxiety attacks for years undiagnosed. She was just called an “odd person” and lived for years without treatment. Both she and her family suffered needlessly for years.
First your panic or anxiety attacks symptoms can vary in intensity from feeling uneasy in certain situations to full blown shear panic. As well we must remember that most symptoms could also be caused by other illness, which have to be ruled out by a qualified medical person.
One is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT is a psycho-therapeutic approach to anxiety treatments that aims to solve problems concerning dysfunctional emotions, behaviors and cognition through a goal-oriented, systematic procedure. The title is used in diverse ways to designate behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, and to refer to therapy based upon a combination of basic behavioral and cognitive research.
There is empirical evidence that CBT is effective for the treatment of a variety of problems, including mood, anxiety, personality, eating, psychotic disorders and substance abuse. Treatment is often manualized, with specific technique-driven brief, direct, and time-limited treatments for specific psychological disorders. CBT is used in individual therapy as well as group settings, and the techniques are often adapted for self-help applications. Some clinicians and researchers are more cognitive oriented, while others are more behaviorally oriented. Other interventions combine both (e.g. imaginal exposure therapy).
CBT was primarily developed through a merging of behavior therapy with cognitive therapy. While rooted in rather different theories, these two traditions found common ground in focusing on the “here and now”, and on alleviating many symptoms including anxiety.
More Anxiety Treatments
Medication is the other treatment I have found; while not popular with lots of people it does have its merits as an anxiety treatment.
Antidepressants (SSRIs, MAOIs, tricyclic antidepressants): these are taken regularly every day, and alter neurotransmitter configurations which in turn can help to block symptoms. Although these medications are described as “antidepressants”, nearly all of them — especially the tricyclic antidepressants — have anti-anxiety properties, in part, due to their sedative effects. SSRIs have been known to exacerbate symptoms in panic disorder patients, especially in the beginning of treatment and have even provoked panic attacks in otherwise healthy individuals. SSRIs are also known to produce withdrawal symptoms which include rebound anxiety and panic attacks.
Anti-anxiety drugs (benzodiazepines): Use of benzodiazepines for panic disorder is controversial with opinion differing in the medical literature.
This is just some of the anxiety treatments available; each and every person is different. What has worked for a friend might not work for you. Please if you or a loved one is suffering get help. My husband’s mother went through the pills like candy, if she was here with us today I would have gotten her Panic Away or the Linden Method. We feel we lost her (her personality) well before she passed away. Give it a try what do you have to lose. This probably the best anxiety treatments or anxiety cure, if you like, available today.
