What Treatments Are Available For Anxiety Disorders?

There is a wide variety of treatments available to cure anxiety disorder, so you must encourage people suffering from anxiety disorder to seek professional help. Although in some cases, treatment may offer temporary relief, it is mandatory for every victim. In most of the cases, treatment strategy involves cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), medication or a combination of both.Cognitive Behavioral TherapyMany people suffering from anxiety disorder receive extensive benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). As denoted by its name, cognitive behavioral therapy puts a special emphasis on changing one’s behavioral pattern or thinking pattern by modifying the patient’s maladaptive behavioral pattern and cognition. If you are a victim of anxiety disorder, cognitive behavioral therapy may offer you benefit and you will be able to identify your negative and irrational beliefs that are creating all obstacles while interacting with different situations or events.Exposure to fear-provoking stimuli is another important key element of cognitive behavioral therapy. During exposure therapy, patients are exposed to fear provoking stimuli slowly in a safe and controlled environment. The exposure therapy is takes place in a series of degree ranking from low degree intensity to high degree intensity. Since the client is exposed on a recurrent fashion, he gradually develops a sense of control over his anxiety and fear.Patients receiving cognitive behavioral therapy gain new coping skills to deal with their problems along with a less sense of fear and anxiety. So, he may now start taking upper hand over his anxious nature. The typical duration of this therapy may take around 12-20 weeks. Cognitive behavioral therapy may be categorized under two head – individual therapy and group therapy.MedicationA wide array of medications is used to treat patients suffering from anxiety disorder. These may include conventionally used anti-anxiety drugs, beta-blockers and anti-depressants. In some of the cases, medications are administered to alleviate the critical symptoms of anxiety disorder.It is done to bring the psychological balance in an individual so that other therapeutic measures can be conducted. There are various side effects associated with anxiety medications. Most of them have addictive content; hence these medications can be treated as a powerful habit forming substance. So, it should never be administered without doctor’s consent.Alternative TreatmentsMany people count on alternative treatment approaches for offering a subsidiary support for treating anxiety disorder. Herbal medications like kava kava and valerian root are widely used for the treatment of anxiety and panic disorder. However, the long term side effects and potential output have not yet been certainly analyzed and measured for this alternative approaches.Apart from herbal treatment, many other alternative approaches like hypnotherapy, acupuncture, aromatherapy, relaxation, meditation have received much popularity now-a-days. Amongst all alternative approaches, progressive relaxation and meditation have shown much better result compared to any other treatment modalities.