Treatment of Anxiety Disorders
All of the anxiety disorders can be treated with psychological therapy alone or as an adjunct to medication. Treatment for anxiety is specific to each disorder. For this reason, accurate diagnosis is essential in treatment planning.
Treatment can involve a number of the following components adapted to the specific disorder and to each individual client:
- Education about anxiety mechanisms and the role of stress in general as well as the particular anxiety disorder.
- Information about anxiety ‘first aide’ strategies.
- Training in strategies to reduce physical symptoms of anxiety such as progressive muscle relaxation, meditation and breathing exercises.
- Training in strategies to change unhelpful thought patterns (a strategy known as cognitive therapy, cognitive restructuring, cognitive reconsideration or rational emotive therapy).
- ‘Desensitisation’ or ‘graded exposure’ exercises (e.g. worry exposure in Generalised Anxiety Disorder, interceptive exposure in Panic Disorder, exposure to obsessive thoughts and ritual prevention in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, graded exposure to feared objects or situations in Social Phobia, Specific Phobias and Agoraphobia).
- Introduction of sleep hygiene strategies.
- Introduction of mindfulness principles and strategies.
- Problem solving.
- Strategies to manage procrastination and avoidance of important life demands or life roles.
- Assertiveness training.
- Addressing interpersonal issues and relationship conflict.
- Social skills training.
- Anger management.
- Addressing self esteem and confidence issues.
- Relapse prevention planning.
For some anxiety sufferers a more in-depth approach exploring ‘schema’, their development and role in maintaining the anxiety condition, and strategies to change these can offer added benefit through identifying the root of the problem and reducing vulnerability to future episodes of anxiety.
