Everyone worries from time to time, but when everyday worries become life-altering or disabling, mental health experts say that a person has developed an anxiety disorder. Fortunately, anxiety disorders are very treatable with a mix of psychotherapy (“talk therapy”), stress reduction techniques and medication.
The most common type of anxiety disorder is called a panic disorder. The defining sign of a panic disorder is an event called a panic attack, which occurs when there are physiological changes in the body that lead to increased heart rate, heavy breathing, faintness, nausea and other distressing symptoms. Sufferers sometimes feel as though they are having a heart attack or suffocating.
Fear-inducing situations or general stress can often trigger these anxiety attacks, so stress reduction and cognitive behavioral therapy are key to reducing the number and severity of attacks. In addition, a number of medications have proven to provide anxiety relief, including benzodiazepine-type drugs, anxiolytic drugs and antidepressants. SSRIs are generally considered the first-line treatment for panic disorder, because they can treat both the anxiety and the depression that sometimes underlies it.
Another common type of anxiety disorder is social anxiety disorder, which is characterized by severe anxiety triggered by social situations, such as crowds, parties or even just going out in public or visiting with friends. People with social anxiety disorder often avoid social situations due to excessive fearfulness, or they may attempt to venture out into public and then experience severe anxiety or panic attacks. Eventually, some sufferers become homebound due to their fears of going into public. Sometimes, people with social anxiety disorder have persistent fears of losing control or doing something embarrassing such as vomiting, having a panic attack or making a social faux pas.
Like panic disorder, social anxiety disorder is very treatable. SSRI antidepressants are usually the first-line social anxiety treatment, but benzodiazepines may also be used for short-term symptom relief. Cognitive behavioral therapy is usually very helpful, and novel types of anxiety therapy, such as social skills training, interpersonal therapy and group therapy have also been found to be of use in retraining a person with social anxiety disorder to use healthier social behaviors. Some therapists also use desensitization techniques, in which a person with anxiety is exposed over and over again to harmless social situations, which can lead to social anxiety relief over time.
