Anxiety Reduction

The Global Health Resource for Anxiety Reduction & Improved Quality of Life

How Does Therapy Help Anxiety?

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Whether you are experiencing obsessions, compulsions, panic attacks, or daily anxiety symptoms, it is important to know that you are not alone in your suffering. Anxiety is the most common mental illness amongst Americans with approximately 40 million adults having been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Working with an anxiety therapist Denver-based or another location can help you discover the underlying causes of your fears and worries. A therapist can also help you learn techniques to relax, and develop healthier ways to cope in the future.

Anxiety

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Treatments Used in Anxiety Therapy

Psychotherapy treats more than just the symptoms of anxiety, unlike medication. Therapy provides people with the ability to understand, identify, and transform their anxiety. There are various types of therapy that are typically used to treat anxiety including:

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy– This is the most widely used therapy to treat anxiety disorders. It relies on the concept that a person’s thoughts affect how he or she feels, behaves, and thinks. CBT is beneficial because it addresses negative behaviors and thoughts. CBT identifies how your negative thoughts impact your anxious feelings. CBT consists of goal setting, group therapy, homework assignments, and more.
  • Exposure therapy– Exposure therapy exposes individuals to objects that they fear or situations that they find fearful. Through repeated exposure, an individual can feel a sense of control over situations or objects they find fearful. This type of therapy can be conducted in a couple of different ways. Your therapist may ask you to imagine situations you find fearful, or you may gradually confront situations you fear in real life.
  • Psychodynamic therapy– This type of therapy consists of recognizing patterns of thinking and behaving that are negative. These patterns are usually deep-rooted from experiences. Therapists tackle this type of therapy by asking open-ended questions and allowing individuals to talk about whatever is on their minds.

Anxiety Medication

Talk therapy is generally used as a first option for treating anxiety disorders. Anxiety medication can help treat the physical symptoms associated with anxiety and can enable a person to function better. However, anxiety medications do not cure the underlying psychological and emotional causes of anxiety nor do they help individuals learn to cope with their symptoms. Medication for anxiety is just like a band-aid.

Some of the most commonly prescribed anti-anxiety medications used today are:

  • Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
  • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
  • Anti-anxiety medication such as Klonopin, Lorazepam, Xanax, and Buspirone can all help manage the physical symptoms of anxiety.

Final Thoughts

Sometimes it can be overwhelming to deal with anxiety, intense fear, and nervousness. These can all impact a person’s daily life. If you are struggling with excessive anxiety, it is important that you put your mental health in the hands of a therapist. A therapist can help you explore your treatment options, and figure out various ways to manage your anxiety symptoms. These treatments can all improve your quality of life and help you work through your mental health concerns.

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