Treatment of Anxiety

Someone experiencing panic and anxiety is feeling the effects of the 'fight or flight' response. The fight or flight response is our bodies natural response to a perceived danger. When it is activated, hormones are released into the body to enable us to either deal with or escape from the dangerous situation.

The effects of the fight or flight response include an increase in our heart rate to pump blood faster to the lungs, muscles and brain. We breath more rapidly to increase our oxygen levels, our muscles tense ready for action and many functions not necessary for fighting or escaping, such as digestion or reproduction, slow down or stop.

Treatment of anxiety disorders varies, depending on the nature of the disorder and individual patient characteristics. Many patients respond well to cognitive and behavioral therapy. In behavioral therapy, a patient is asked to gradually confront the source of the fear. A person with panic attacks might be asked to return several times to a place associated with an attack. With the help of a therapist or supportive friend, the patient learns to "ride out" an attack rather than run from it.

Traditional psychotherapy, talking out problems with a therapist, can be beneficial to many patients. Cognitive therapy, can help patients identify the distorted thoughts and misconceptions that contribute to the anxiety.

The important thing to remember is that effective treatments are available for anxiety disorders, and no one should feel the need to retreat from life because of overwhelming anxiety. The Biggest step, and often the Toughest, is to ask for help.

Symptoms of anxiety may include:

Breathing difficulties Excessive perspiration Tingling feeling Tightening of the throat Light-headedness Hyperventilation Frequent need to urinate Muscle Tension Diarrhoea Chest pain Sweating hands Sleeping difficulties Headaches Neck pain Unexplained rashes Dissociative symptoms Depersonalisation Aching jaw Extreme exhaustion Lack of concentration Feeling detached from body Nausea and/or vomiting Digestive problems Loss of feelings and/or libido Pounding heart Trembling Short term memory loss Fear of embarrassment Ice cold feeling Hot prickly feeling Choking sensation Intense heat Indigestion Pins and needles Fear of losing control Fear of making a fool of self Fear of going insane Fear of having a heart attack Fear of dying Churning/burning stomach Muscle pain Sensitivity to light/sound