At one time or another, everyone feels anxious. This is the body’s natural response to danger or feeling pressured or to facing a stressful situation. In the appropriate situation, anxiety is not a bad thing. It can help a person focus, stay sharp and find innovative solutions. Anxiety becomes an issue when it is constant, when feeling anxious is interfering with an individual’s ability to function normally. That is when helpful anxiety turns into a disorder and the need for anxiety treatment results.

There are several different types of anxiety disorders and there are several methods for treating anxiety disorders. The first step is to determine that an individual is suffering from an anxiety disorder and then to diagnose which type. Then a treatment plan can be developed.

There are six primary anxiety disorders and each has its own symptom profile – obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), general anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder or anxiety attacks, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To determine if and why type of anxiety disorder an individual is suffering from, a doctor will ask them a series of questions concerning their symptoms. The doctor will use their answers to determine if the individual is suffering from an anxiety disorder and if they are, what type.

If an individual is diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, they may be referred to a therapist for anxiety treatment. This treatment may consist of therapy, medication or both. Anxiety disorders normally respond very well to treatment, usually in a relatively short period of time. Therapy during anxiety treatment is usually composed of either cognitive behavior therapy, hypnotherapy, or exposure therapy and both have good success rates in treating anxiety disorders. There are a variety of medications available to treat anxiety disorders, however anxiety medications can be habit forming and any use of medication should be thoroughly discussed with the individual’s physician before a decision is made. Anxiety medications are best used in combination with therapy and recommended anxiety self-help strategies. Medication alone cannot cure an anxiety disorder, but it may be able to control the symptoms while the therapist and individual work together to cure the anxiety.

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