Treating Debilitating Anxiety

Anxiety is a normal emotion we all experience occasionally; may it be due to stress at work or fear of certain things and situations. Even the calmest and most relaxed people know what it feels like to be anxious, nervous, or worried in moments when they are taken away from their comfort zone.
 
Unfortunately, anxiety it isn’t always a routine emotion, with over 40 million adults in the United States suffering from debilitating anxiety or other forms of anxiety disorders. Not only can this be painful and uncomfortable, but it can also affect one’s way of living.
 
Here are things you need to know about how your debilitating anxiety can be treated:
 
1.Relaxation Techniques and Other Therapies
 
There are relaxation techniques one can follow on their own with the guidance of a therapist or psychiatrist to treat anxiety and recover from triggers and attacks, including:

• Yoga to help calm the mind and reduce stress
• A guided meditation that utilizes imagery and suggestion with audio tracks, so the patient is on a journey to feel deeply relaxed
• Art therapy, including drawing, painting, or sketching to express negative feelings
• Deep breathing techniques to increase mindfulness
• Mindfulness training to help reduce the distracting or disturbing thoughts, acknowledging the moment and senses, accepting the experience without further negativity
• Massage therapy can relieve stress by manipulating one’s soft muscle tissue, releasing toxins while increasing blood flow
• Aromatherapy offers various health benefits and is known to help with relaxation and reduce anxiety
• Aerobic therapy helps bodies produce serotonin and dopamine, along with release endorphins to help with stress

 
2.Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
 
This is a common form of therapy that involves practice and homework. It involves various strategies to change the response to triggers and any underlying causes of negative emotions.
 
Furthermore, it helps in identifying possible triggers, thoughts, or related actions that cause anxiety attacks. Through identifying triggers, it can help patients avoid them or work through finding ways to change negative thoughts and perspective towards the trigger.
 
CBT also includes learning coping skills and relaxation techniques to manage the severe symptoms of anxiety. See your psychiatrist or counselor for help with CBT.
 
3.Exposure through Forms of Talk Therapy
 
This type of treatment is sometimes recommended for trauma-related anxiety or phobias, which will guide patients to discuss the trauma or fear, working through it slowly. Through thinking, discussing, and feeling emotions towards the anxiety-provoking subject, or prolonged exposure to the subject can help dissipate the negative response towards it gradually.
 
 
4.Medication
 
There are medications that your doctor may prescribe to treat anxiety or panic disorders. Such medications include:

• Benzodiazepines for short-term use
• SSRI or SNRI antidepressants, either for long-term use or situational events

 
 
When one’s response to anxiety becomes excessive, it may become debilitating, affecting one’s relationships, work, and ability to function when paralyzed in fear. It can also cause physical symptoms, such as insomnia, agitation, chronic pain, or weight changes.
 
If you believe you or a loved one has debilitating anxiety, do have it checked by a medical professional for treatment. Some tools can help one recover from such anxiety disorders, and the earlier it is treated, the better.