ANXIETY: TREATMENT & MANAGEMENT

Anxiety or worry is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worrying thoughts and physical changes like increased breathing and blood pressure. Anxiety happens as a normal part of life and is a normal reaction to stressful situations. It can even be useful when it alerts you to danger. But for some people it becomes significantly increased and persistent due to exaggerated sense of danger. Persistent anxiety interferes with daily activities such as work, school or sleep. This type of anxiety can disrupt relationships and enjoyment of life, and over time it can lead to health concerns and other problems. 

 

Types of Anxiety Disorders: There are several types of anxiety disorders, including:

 

• Panic disorder: People with this condition have feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly with no warning. Other symptoms of a panic attack include sweating, chest pain, palpitations (irregular heartbeats), and sensations of choking, which may make the person feel like he or she is having a heart attack or "going crazy."

 

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): People with OCD are plagued by constant thoughts or fears that cause them to perform certain rituals or routines. The disturbing thoughts are called obsessions, and the rituals are called compulsions. An example is a person with an unreasonable fear of germs who constantly washes his or her hands.

 

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): PTSD is a condition that can develop following a traumatic and/or terrifying event, such as a sexual or physical assault, the unexpected death of a loved one, or a natural disaster. People with PTSD often have lasting and frightening thoughts and memories of the event and tend to be emotionally numb.

 

• Social anxiety disorder: Also called social phobia, social anxiety disorder involves overwhelming worry and self-consciousness about everyday social situations. The worry often centers on a fear of being judged by others, or behaving in a way that might cause embarrassment or lead to ridicule.

 

• Specific phobias: A specific phobia is an intense fear of a specific object or situation, such as snakes, heights, or flying. The level of fear is usually inappropriate to the situation and may cause the person to avoid common, everyday situations.

 

• Generalized anxiety disorder: This disorder involves excessive, unrealistic worry and tension, even if there is little to no stimulus to provoke the anxiety.

 

• Adjustment disorder: It is a type of stress-related mental illness. Work problems, going away to school, an illness, or any number of life changes can cause stress. The patient may feel anxious or depressed or even have thoughts of suicide. Most of the time, people adjust to such changes within a few months. But if you continue to feel down or self-destructive, you may have an adjustment disorder. 

 

• Separation anxiety: Separation anxiety seemed to be a problem only for other kids between ages 8 and 12 months, children often experience a period of separation anxiety. Frustrating as it may be, separation anxiety is actually an emotional milestone. Most children outgrow separation anxiety by age 24 months.

 

Treatment and Management of Anxiety:

 

Fortunately, much progress has been made in the last two decades in the treatment of people with mental illnesses, including anxiety disorders. Although the exact treatment approach depends on the type of disorder, one or a combination of the following therapies may be used for most anxiety disorders:

 

• Medication: Drugs used to reduce the symptoms of anxiety disorders include anti-depressants and anxiety-reducing drugs.

• Homeopathic Treatment of Anxiety: Anxiety can be treated easily by homeopathy without any side effects. 

• Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy addresses the emotional response to mental illness. It is a process in which trained mental health professionals help people by talking through their anxiety, helping them understand and deal with their disorder.

 

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy: People suffering from anxiety disorders often participate in this type of psychotherapy in which the person learns to recognize and change thought patterns and behaviors that lead to troublesome feelings.

 

• Hypnotherapy: Hypnotherapy helps significantly to change the subconscious pattern of perceiving danger and reactions towards them. 

 

• Relaxation therapy: Few relaxation techniques help a patient to reduce the potency of sickness.