Anxiety

Treatments

Intervention:

An important part of any intervention with a patient with an anxiety disorder is to education them and their family. Many people are confused at first by the symptoms and behavior and are given confidence to know they are not alone.

The patient should receive an appropriate medical workup, such as a physical examination, and studies when indicated. After ruling out a medical condition, developing a working alliance with the patient provides a basis for ongoing management and prevents further inappropriate use of the medical system.

Therapy:

When approaching the start of therapy, the clinician should reassure the patient that effective treatment is available, but that patience may be necessary. Although all of the anxiety disorders display a significant amount of chronicity, most patients have an improved outcome with appropriate treatment. Patients with an earlier onset of symptoms (childhood or adolescence) can generally expect a more chronic course and may by more difficult to treat. In some of the disorders (PTSD, panic disorder), patients sometimes have spontaneous remission or can function despite the symptoms. However, time to resolution of symptoms is shortened and overall functioning can improve with treatment.

Psychotherapy:

Psychotherapy is a general term for treating mental health problems by talking with a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health provider.

During psychotherapy, you learn about your condition and your moods, feelings, thoughts and behaviors. Psychotherapy helps you learn how to take control of your life and respond to challenging situations with healthy coping skills.

A therapist in this division cannot prescribe medication, for that you have to go to a pharmacotherapy therapist.

Pharmacotherapy:

Pharmacotherapy is therapy using pharmaceutical drugs. Sometimes referred to as medical therapy.

Pharmacists are experts in pharmacotherapy and are responsible for ensuring the safe, appropriate, and economical use of pharmaceutical drugs.

Pharmacotherapy often helps to prevent relapse, and rates are improved when effective treatment is continued for 12 months. When considering the terminating pharmacologic treatment, the risk for relapse in all of the disorders should be discussed with the patient.

A combination of psychotherapy and medication management is recommended in all of the anxiety disorders. Its efficacy also depends on the ability of the therapist and the length of therapy.

Lifelong management with pharmacotherapy or psychotherapy, or both, is not unusual for many patients. For many, a maximum reduction of symptoms, rather than a full remission, is an acceptable outcome.