The treatment of anxiety syndrome is an urgent issue for modern medicine. Panic attacks, obsessive thoughts, anxiety, which we can’t defeat on our own are phenomena that are characteristic of a significant percentage of our compatriots. Anxious neurosis manifesting itself with such symptoms can be treated, so there is no need to endure discomfort. Several effective approaches have been developed: exposure, drug, cognitive-behavioral. As part of the course, the doctor will teach the patient to keep their mental status under control, to overcome fears and worrying thoughts.
Starting first: what are we talking about?
Before considering the basic postulates of the treatment of anxiety in adults, children, you should understand the terminology. What kind of condition is called anxiety? Modern medicine under this term refers to several subspecies. Treatment is selected based on the nuances of the case. Often, anxiety worries against the background of OCD, when a neurosis is associated with obsessive thoughts and conditions. This requires a specific approach. A peculiar course is prescribed if the main manifestation is panic attacks. The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the condition. However, the predominant percentage of types of treatment is aimed at a rather short-term cooperation between the patient and the doctor. From statistics it is known that an improvement is observed on average by the tenth session.
The treatment of anxiety in children is often necessary against the background of drug therapy or somatic disease. Fears can provoke a deterioration in the mental state - for example, those associated with school, parents, and the future. Doctors say that anxiety is based on a feeling of distrust in the environment. Many expect a trick, trouble literally at every turn. Adults transmit this pattern of thinking to children; memorization occurs automatically. Doctors also found that anxiety can be transmitted between generations and across generations.
Therapy: the main idea
The treatment of anxiety, depression, OCD, anxiety and other mental disorders, disorders involves the selection of the optimal program, approach, useful for a particular person. Currently, with anxiety, the most successful methods are considered cognitive behavioral (CBT) and exposure. It is not necessary to plan a course using the approaches of only one treatment option: you can combine different methods and tools, as well as supplement the main option with other, less common methods. An individual course of therapy is optimal for some patients; for others, group treatment is more suitable, involving a combination of people who have similar problems.
CBT against anxiety
This therapeutic technique has established itself as effective, gentle, safe. Currently, it is widely used in the treatment of increased anxiety, and accumulated official information confirms the reasonableness and effectiveness of this approach. Based on research, it can be concluded that CBT helps with panic disorders and general anxiety. This approach can be resorted to in the fight against phobias. It is recommended as the primary person with social concern.
The idea of the effect of cognitive therapy on the symptoms of anxiety in the treatment of this condition is the study and assessment of the impact on a person of negative thoughts, in medicine called cognition. The doctor helps the patient to understand the extent to which the general state of concern is highly dependent on this phenomenon. The behavioral aspect of the therapeutic course is devoted to the nuances of human behavior; it helps to control the patient's response when exposed to anxiety and factors that activate it.
The main idea of CBT is to understand that feelings are determined by thoughts, not external factors. With symptoms of increased anxiety, treatment involves primarily an awareness of the dominance of feelings and ideas about the current situation over itself.
On examples
Suppose a person is invited to some event. The first thought that comes about this is usually positive - people remember how they like to attend such events, what fun awaits on the spot. The emotional state is elevated, the person is animated. With anxiety, thinking can change color: a person may think that parties are not suitable for him, and it would be much more comfortable to spend the evening alone. This sets the state to be neutral. Another way of thinking is possible when, immediately after receiving an invitation, an object begins to think about difficulties in communication, presents negative situations that may occur at a meeting. This gives rise to concern.
The described scheme gives a clear idea of how strongly the emotional state affects the perception of an event. The treatment of anxiety is primarily aimed at combating negative thinking that provokes anxiety and fear. CBT aims to correct this method of belief, thinking, in order to influence the feelings experienced by a person.
CBT: therapeutic approach
The treatment of increased anxiety in adults with CBT begins with an assessment of the type of thinking inherent in a person. The first step is to question the correctness of the thoughts characteristic of the object. This is called restructuring, that is, a process in which negative patterns are changed to realistic ones. The process is step-by-step, consists of three stages. We will consider them in turn.
Step one
The treatment of increased anxiety in adults through CBT ideas begins with the identification and identification of negative thoughts. Mental abnormalities compel a person to evaluate any situations much more dangerous than those in reality. A classic example is the fear of microflora. People suffering from this form of anxiety disorder cannot even shake hands with another person.
Identification of fears on their own, without qualified assistance, is extremely difficult. Some are aware of the irrationality of the disturbing factor, however, the situation does not become easier. The main task of the first stage of CBT is to give the correct answer to the question of what kind of thoughts were in the head when the alarm came.
Second step
The next stage in the treatment of anxiety is to question the negative thoughts that arise in the head. The task of a person is to correctly evaluate all those thoughts against which anxiety arose. Negative beliefs should be analyzed in detail, examined for the presence of undeniable evidence of the truth of the fear-inspiring factor. It should be analyzed how likely it is that in reality a worrying situation will occur.
Step three
At this stage of the treatment of anxiety, one should work on negative thoughts, replacing them with reflective reality. By identifying and accurately formulating worrying irrational assumptions, realizing negative mental disorders, we can take measures to correct them in the direction of more correct ones. As part of the course, the doctor will help formulate calm statements that reflect reality. Expecting a disturbing situation, a person will have to concentrate on such thoughts, speak them to himself.
Replacing thoughts with realistic ones is a rather difficult task. Negative thinking in most cases is a formed pattern. It takes time, patience and a lot of practice to change it. The task of a person is to consciously break a habit that provokes anxiety. For this reason, CBT is not only work with a doctor, but also an active independent adjustment of the assessment of reality.
Exposition therapy
Anxiety is a rather uncomfortable and unpleasant condition that a person subconsciously tries to avoid. For example, fearing heights, he would rather make a big circle, but avoid the need to cross a high bridge. Fearing public activity, such a person will find a reason not to attend the event. At the same time, the treatment of anxiety in the conditions of the complete exclusion of situations provoking anxiety from its reality is impossible. Avoiding such cases, a person loses the chance to be stronger than his own phobias. Moreover, an attempt to hide from a frightening event makes it even worse.
Exposure therapy has been developed to combat this vicious circle. Such a course of treatment involves maximum immersion in frightening circumstances. Repeated repetition helps to recognize fear and take control of what is happening, thereby reducing the manifestation of symptoms of increased anxiety. Treatment in adults and children occurs in one of two scenarios. The doctor can help present frightening circumstances or assist in overcoming them in reality. This approach can be combined with the CBT described above, and can be used by itself to correct a person’s condition.
Therapy: how it all happens
The exposition course is based on the idea of systematic addiction. With symptoms of increased anxiety, treatment of adults and children never begins with a collision with a situation that causes severe fear - a similar approach can cause psychological trauma. Optimal start - simple situations. Gradually add level of anxiety. Phased addiction is called a systematic decrease in the susceptibility of a frightening phenomenon. The patient becomes more confident in his own abilities, gets at his disposal different ways to control a panic condition.
The first step of treatment is the development of relaxation methods and methods. The doctor teaches relaxation through breathing, the relaxation of muscle tissue. By learning to resist fears, relaxation can be used to weaken the physical response to anxiety. This helps to eliminate trembling, too quick and shallow breathing and similar external symptoms of another attack.
Program Continuation
The next step in weakening the susceptibility of the intimidating factor is to develop a list. It is necessary to imagine and fix on paper 1-2 dozen circumstances giving rise to anxiety, sort the list by level of fear. To combat fear, create a sequence of actions from simple to complex, realizing the purpose of each stage. For example, if a person is afraid of flying, first they begin to consider photos of airplanes, gradually progress comes to flight in reality.
All formulated tasks must be carefully considered. The easiest way is to overcome the steps of the list with the help of a doctor, but if you can’t access it, you can try an independent treatment for anxiety using the same program. You should be aware of the goal of therapy - to be in frightening circumstances until you manage to overcome fears. Sooner or later, a person realizes that there is nothing terrible, and previous ideas about the situation did not reflect the real state of affairs. The formation of an alarming situation should be accompanied by the use of relaxation techniques. The success of its implementation helps again to return to a frightening factor. Gradually, step by step, such therapy gives a pronounced result.
Additional techniques
Special methods and means have been developed to reduce stress levels. By resorting to them, it is easier to achieve peace of mind. The simplest and most basic option is physical activity. Exercise is a good counterbalance to stressful effects, any internal excitement. As it was proved, 3-5 times a week, doing half an hour doing some kind of sport, thereby a person significantly improves the emotional status, stabilizes the psyche. The best results are characteristic of those who spend every hour on pleasant varieties of sports. For example, you can introduce aerobics or swimming into your daily routine.
An equally useful technique is relaxation. By regularly resorting to it, you can achieve good results. It is recommended to master meditation or visualization. A doctor can teach you ways to control breathing. A fairly popular method is progressive muscle relaxation.
What else to try?
Feedback is a way to combat anxiety using special sensors. These are a variety of heart rate monitors, drugs to control respiratory rate and muscle activity. Analysis of instrument readings helps to evaluate the body's response to a disturbing factor. Therefore, it is easier to figure out which relaxation technique will be most useful.
In some cases, patients are advised to resort to hypnosis. While in such a combination, the psychotherapist will apply specific approaches aimed at conveying the essence of fears. As part of the treatment course, the client learns differently to evaluate frightening factors.
Medical assistance
To treat anxiety, drugs are prescribed relatively rarely. The choice of specific items depends on the specifics of the case, the presence of somatic disorders. Often, anxiety is explained by a person’s drug program or drugs that he takes. To facilitate a way out of this state, substances are canceled gradually. Sometimes treatment for withdrawal symptoms is required. With primary anxiety disorder and with prolonged symptoms after the withdrawal of the compounds that caused it, a combination of psychotherapeutic treatment and medication is indicated.
Quite a few drugs have been developed that are effective for anxiety. Basically, they are well tolerated and show a pronounced effect. Most often resort to benzodiazepines. Preparations of this group are indicated by a short course - up to two months. The remedies are effective against anxiety and sleep disorders, with problems with adaptation and acute stress. The two-month use of benzodiazepines helps to control yourself and your emotions, learn to cope with everyday tasks. In addition, against the background of drug therapy, the patient works more effectively with the doctor as part of a psychotherapeutic course.
Nuances and Cases
PTSD (a disorder that appeared on the background of an experienced psychological trauma) requires treatment not only with medication, the course should be selected by assessing the patient’s condition, and the treatment regimen should be drawn up taking into account an integrated approach. As a rule, anxiety is accompanied by depressive or panic disorders, dysthymia. PTSD is often observed in combination with addiction to alcohol or drugs.
For panic abnormalities, antidepressants are indicated. The most common practice is the appointment of SSRIs, tricyclic drugs. You can combine these groups with benzodiazepines. The choice is based on individual tolerance, negative consequences, previous experience with the application. SSRIs are the most common options in general practice at present. These drugs give an effect a few weeks after the start of the course, sometimes a month or even longer, so the program is usually long-lasting: from six months or more. The most popular drugs are Fluoxetine, Paroxetine, Sertraline.