One of the most common mental illness is anxiety disorder. It affects millions of adults ages 18 and older. However anxiety disorders can be treated effectively but only 30% of the people suffering from depression or anxiety receive treatment.
Anxiety disorders could be result of a number of risk factors including genetics, brain chemistry, personality and life events. People who suffer from anxiety might also suffer from depression and vice versa. Women are twice as likely to be affected by anxiety disorders when compared to men. The symptoms of anxiety usually begin in childhood. An individual may be experiencing feelings of anxiety and depression for quite some time before they are able to accept it and seek treatment for it.
Anxiety disorders in children
Around 20 to 30% of the children aged 13 to 18 years old might suffer from anxiety. There is research which proves that children who are left untreated might perform poorly in a school. They may also missed out important social gathering and are more likely to get involved in substance abuse. In children anxiety disorders often occur with other disorders like depression, eating dis orders or ADHD
Anxiety treatment in Brisbane
Anxiety treatment is available for people suffering from anxiety disorders. There are certain standard approaches which have proved to be effective in treating it. These include the following:
Therapy
One of the most common yet highly effective treatment is the cognitive behavioral therapy. The focus is on the identification and understanding of one’s behavior patterns. Individuals may see benefits within 12 to 16 weeks. One of the best things about this kind of therapy is that it involves the patient and they are in control of the recovery.
It might involve the patient keeping a track of the problems and pictures which has been suggested for them. They learn certain skills which are practiced repeatedly in order to see improvement.
Another kind of therapy is acceptance and commitment therapy. Patients learn strategies like acceptance and mindfulness. This allows them to cope with unwanted thoughts and feelings.
Interpersonal therapy on the other hand is a short term psychotherapy which address is the personal issues which adults and adolescents face. Another popular treatment option is the eye movement desensitization and reprocessing.
Medications
Medication treatment for anxiety is safe and effective and is often used along with therapy. Medication might be used as a short-term or a long-term treatment depending on the severity of the condition however it might take some time to find a drug which actually works for an individual.
Complementary treatments
Alternative medicine and complementary treatment has proved to be effective in treating anxiety disorders. Patients are taught stress and relaxation techniques which might produce a short-term reduction in their anxiety. Meditation is also useful to treat such conditions along with yoga. Acupuncture on the other hand is the practice of inserting needles into the body at specific points so as to manipulate the flow of the energy.
Anxiety disorder can be treated with all of the above treatment options.
