Anxiety Disorders Overview: Medications, Therapy and Self-Help

What you need to know

• Anxiety disorders are very common and affect around 30% of adults at some point. They range from mild to severe, and women are more likely to suffer from anxiety disorders than men.
• The most common types of anxiety disorders include generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, phobias and panic disorders.
• Treatment will typically include a combination of medication and therapy to address the underlying cause. Support is essential to help individuals with anxiety disorders to overcome this condition.

Common anxiety disorders

Everyone feels a little anxious from time to time, and this is a normal evolutionary response to threats. But for some people, this feeling can be debilitating, disproportionate and disruptive to everyday life.

Anxiety can manifest in lots of different ways, but there are a few specific conditions that are more common. The most common anxiety disorders include:

• Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) which is characterised by general worry and stress about everyday events. Individuals with this type of disorder will live with a higher base line of anxiety about everyday events.
• Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a mental health condition characterised by the fear of being watched, judged or embarrassed in social situations. It can make it difficult to form meaningful relationships due to the fear attached to social situations.
• Phobias are defined as intense, irritations and persistent fears about things or situations. Common phobias include spiders, enclosed spaces and flying.
• Panic disorders occur when individuals have intense panic attacks in relation to certain situations. Panic attacks often involve intense physical responses to emotional triggers, including a rapid heart rate, breathing problems and excessive sweating.

There are also other conditions that are commonly grouped with anxiety disorders, since anxiety is such a prevalent symptom. These include obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Treatment for anxiety disorders

Understanding the source of the anxiety can help to shape the treatment plan. Exposure therapy can help to increase tolerance to anxiety-inducing situations. Cognitive behavioural theory (CBT) is often recommended as this helps individuals to challenge and rewrite the negative thought patterns that are informing their anxiety and phobias.

Medication typically used to treat depression may also be useful in the treatment of anxiety. Since anxiety is commonly caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, the use of selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can be beneficial.

For crisis management, short-term use of benzodiazepines may be suitable, but this is often not recommended due to the risk of addiction. For certain phobias, such as fear of flying, the use of beta blockers can be highly effective, particularly when combined with breathing exercises.

Positive lifestyle changes can also be beneficial. Increasing exercise can often be more effective than medications, as it produces a similar effect in boosting natural endorphins while also reducing stress hormones. Focus should be on gentle exercise over high intensity cardio, as the latter can trigger feelings akin to a panic attack.

Support for anxiety disorders

Getting support for anxiety disorders is an essential part of treatment. Support can come from the individual’s primary care physician, their close friends and family, their wider community and their employer.

Understanding that this is a genuine mental health disorder is essential, as this helps to avoid those around the anxious person from dismissing their needs.

Learning mindfulness and breathing techniques can help to control symptoms during stressful situations. This is often combined with CBT techniques to help challenge the negative thought patterns that are causing the fear.

Frequently asked questions