Anxiety Disorders are the most common childhood-onset psychiatric disorders. In children and adolescents, they are associated with educational underachievement and co-occurring psychiatric conditions, as well as functional impairments that can extend into adulthood. For example, people suffering from anxiety disorders are two to three times more likely to have an alcohol or other substance abuse disorder at some point in their lives than the general population.
In the US, some 40 million adults suffer from anxiety disorders, causing them to be filled with fearfulness and uncertainty. The prevalence among children and adolescents is about the same. Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event (such as speaking in public or a first date), anxiety disorders last at least 6 months and can get worse if they are not treated. Anxiety disorders commonly occur along with other mental or physical illnesses, including alcohol or substance use disorders, which may mask anxiety symptoms or make them worse. In some cases, these other illnesses need to be treated before a person will respond to treatment for the anxiety disorder.
Anxiety Disorders include:
- Panic Disorder,
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD),
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),
- Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder),
- Specific Phobias, and
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).
Each anxiety disorder has different symptoms, but all include excessive, irrational fear and dread.
Treatment of Anxiety Disorders
In general, anxiety disorders are treated with specific types of psychotherapy, medication, or both. Treatment choices depend on the problem and the person’s preference. A careful diagnostic assessment must be conducted before treatment begins, to determine whether a person’s symptoms are caused by an anxiety disorder or some other problem. If an anxiety disorder is diagnosed, the type of disorder or the combination of disorders that are present must be identified, as well as any coexisting conditions, such as Depression or Substance Use Disorders. Sometimes Alcoholism, Depression, or other coexisting conditions have such a strong effect on the individual that treating the anxiety disorder must wait until the coexisting conditions are brought under control.
Medications
Medications will not cure anxiety disorders, but can help keep them under control while the person receives psychotherapy. Medication must be prescribed by physicians, usually psychiatrists, or by specially trained mid-level healthcare providers who can either offer psychotherapy themselves or work as a team with psychologists, social workers, or counselors who provide psychotherapy. The principal medications used for anxiety disorders are antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and beta-blockers to control some of the physical symptoms. Unfortunately, some of these medications, such as the Benzodiazepines, may actually interfere with psychotherapy.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most frequently used psychotherapeutic approaches, with considerable research supporting its effectiveness and adaptability in clinical practice. CBT is considered to be especially effective in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. The cognitive part helps people change the thinking patterns that support their fears, and the behavioral part helps them change the way they react to anxiety-provoking situations.
For example, CBT can help people with panic disorder learn that their panic attacks are not really heart attacks and help people with social phobia learn how to overcome the belief that others are always watching and judging them. When people are ready to confront their fears, they are shown how to use exposure techniques to desensitize themselves to situations that trigger their anxieties.