How Is Anxiety Treated?
Writer:
If you’re dealing with any kind of anxiety disorder, you know that it can feel like the worry will never stop. But as difficult as anxiety is, help is out there.
Usually, getting treated for anxiety involves behavioral therapy, medication, or some combination of both. The best treatment for you will depend on what kind of anxiety you have, how intense it is, and what kinds of options are available where you live.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
For many people with anxiety, it makes sense to try cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT. CBT is a good option when your anxiety is mild to moderate, meaning that it bothers you but doesn’t stop you from doing everyday things like going to school or seeing friends.
CBT helps you challenge inaccurate or unrealistic thoughts, encouraging you to face things that make you anxious instead of avoiding them.
For example, you might feel scared of going to a party where you don’t know a lot of people, so you stay home every time you’re invited to one. You feel a little better when you turn down an invitation, but by the time the next one comes along, you’re anxious again — maybe even more so than before.
What’s most likely stopping you from going to these parties are worries that you know are unrealistic. For instance, you might think that if you go, you’ll embarrass yourself so badly that no one will ever speak to you again. In CBT, your therapist helps you work through your fears a little bit at a time. So in this case, they might help you practice replacing the irrational thoughts with more accurate ones: “I might say something embarrassing at the party, but I have a lot of good friends who will always be there for me.”
CBT also involves the practice of facing your fears head on. You might start by imagining what it could feel like to go to a party, then role-playing a party conversation with your therapist, eventually working your way up to spending an hour at a party. Your therapist will also help you learn tools — like breathing exercises — you can use to handle anxiety instead of avoiding it.
Medication for anxiety
Sometimes medication is also used as a treatment for anxiety. It can be helpful in a few different cases:
If your anxiety is so intense that you can’t participate in everyday life
If you’re too anxious to participate in therapy
If you’ve been in therapy for a while but aren’t seeing your anxiety improve
Studies show that medication for anxiety is most helpful when it’s used in combination with therapy, so it’s not usually recommended to take medication on its own.
There are a lot of different types of anti-anxiety medication, and it’s important to work with a doctor to figure out which kind and dosage makes the most sense for you. Never take anxiety medication without getting a prescription from a doctor.
The most common medications for anxiety are called SSRIs. They were originally developed to treat depression, but they have been shown to work very well for anxiety and usually have only mild side effects. Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil, and Lexapro are all SSRIs.
If SSRIs don’t work for you, there are other kinds of medication that can also help. Your doctor can help you find the right one.
Finding effective ways to cope with anxiety can be hard, but they do work. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your worries, talking to a trusted adult — whether it’s a teacher, coach, parent, or counselor — is always a good first step.
