Anxiety Treatment Options: Finding the Right Help

Anxiety treatments can vary depending on the type of anxiety a person is experiencing. Multiple options for professional help for anxiety are available. A doctor or licensed mental health professional can help you choose which options are best for you.

Medications

• There are multiple medication options available including, antidepressants, benzodiazepines, beta blockers and BuSpar (which is in its own drug class).

Cognitive Behavior Therapy

• Cognitive behavior therapy helps replace exaggerated or fearful thinking by learning to replace counterproductive thoughts with more constructive ones.

Relaxation Training

• Mental health professionals teach forms of relaxation such as abdominal breathing and progressive muscle relaxation to use at home on a daily basis. Relaxation helps provide an overall sense of well-being.

Exposure and Response Prevention

• Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is a technique that first exposes a person to a feared situation in slow increments. Exposing a person to a feared item or situation eventually results in a reduced anxious response.

Group Therapy

• Group therapy is helpful in letting a person see that he is not alone and receiving support from peers. Group therapy is often indicated for patients suffering from agoraphobia.

Hypnotherapy

• Hypnotherapy uses a hypnotic state that leaves a person responsive to suggestion and allows for change in perception and memory.