It’s important not to let anxiety go untreated. There are many different forms of treatment for anxiety, both traditional and non-traditional. For those of you using the site, you are familiar with both behaviour and cognitive forms of therapy. The goal of these is to modify and gain control over unwanted behaviours and change your thought patterns.
In behaviour therapy, we learn how to cope with different situations through exposure exercises in controlled doses. This benefits individuals as it teaches them life long skills to deal with various situations. Behaviour therapy can take practice before results are seen. Often times, an individual must expose themselves to difficult situations multiple times before they learn the coping skills to deal with it.
Cognitive therapy is similar to behaviour therapy in that it can take a while to work as individuals are actively involved in the recovery process, challenging their thought patterns. Through this type of therapy, people learn to examine their thoughts and feelings and learn to separate realistic thoughts and feeling from false thoughts.
Relaxation therapy is also encouraged for many panic sufferers. Through relaxation therapy, one is expected to learn how to resolves stresses that can contribute to anxiety. Breathing techniques, stretching and mind calming activities are used to help achieve a relaxed state. As with both cognitive and behaviour therapy, relaxation techniques can take a long time to learn and properly employ.
Medication can also play an important role in the treatment of panic. Helping to resolve symptoms and restore chemical imbalances in the brain can help to deal with the immediate symptoms of panic and move forward in treatment.
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"Myth: We all get anxious or embarrassed sometimes so you should just relax and get over it.
Fact: It's true that most people exhibit some anxiety in social situations, but for patients with Social Anxiety Disorder, this anxiety causes significant distress and interferes with daily activities and relationships. Patients with SAD recognize that their fears are unreasonable, but the anxiety is not under their control.” Reference:
Social Anxiety Center. Myths about Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). Available Online: < http://www.socialanxietycenter.org/symptoms/social-anxiety-disorder-myths.php> December 22, 2009 |
