How to Treat Anxiety Disorders: Behavior and Exposure Therapy

The cause of anxiety disorders or panic disorders isn’t understood yet, but there seems to be a tendency to run in families. A connection between life transitions like marriage, work, having a baby or graduating from school happens. Severe Stress in life is also a major influence like death, or divorce.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Medical or physical causes can also become an issue that triggers anxiety attacks. Panic issues should be addressed by a doctor if you are having symptoms. You could be having. Symptoms caused by medication, stimulant use, hypoglycemia, hyperthyroidism, or cardiac problems.

2. Panic attacks are treatable conditions, either with therapy or medication, or both. Behavior therapy is the most effective, with its three step program which identifies negative thoughts, challenges negative thoughts, and replaces negative thoughts with positive thinking. Behavior therapy should be a positive therapy choice.

3. Exposure therapy – you experience sensations of panic in a safe environment that is controlled, imitating attacks. Learning desensitization techniques which involves three parts: learning to relax, creating lists that trigger attacks, and working through the steps .Learning about the cause making coping easier so less attacks happen. Exercises in hyperventilating, easier breathing techniques, and bobbing the head back and forth are taught

4. Making anxiety therapy work is the key, with time and commitment success can be attained. It is up to the individual, but a continued program should be integrated. Therapy should not be stopped but continued to its advantage for facing your fears instead of avoiding them, are the most important goals. Effective treatment works at its own pace, it won’t happen overnight but in time anxiety or panic attacks will become better.

5. By learning more about anxiety and what causes your anxiety attacks you will have less attacks. It won’t cure the them but it will make you aware of what triggers them. In time they will become less, and you will be able to handle your fears.

6. Have a better social life, by making more connections to people as loneliness and isolation can cause attacks. Join self-help groups, and share what is going on with you, and you can help others.

7. Adopting a better, healthier lifestyle, with healthy eating habits and exercise. Living free of alcohol and drugs, working towards less episodes with anxiety disorders. Avoiding anybody that brings on your stress is helpful, and have more fun and enjoy life which is always good with less tension and stress.

Tips & Warnings

• Face your fears
• Stay with a Therapy program
• Take medication if that is part of regimen
• Live a healthier, stress free lifestyle
• avoid places that panic episodes are triggered

[maryellen1001]

on 12/5/2008 Great article. Full of valuable information!