Therapy can assist individuals in uncovering the underlying causes of their fears and worries, see situations in less frightening ways, learn the art of relaxation and develop better problem-solving and coping skills. Therapy provides individuals with the tools required to overcome anxiety and provides instruction on how to use them effectively.
Whether you are afflicted with obsessive thoughts, panic attacks, an incapacitating phobia or unrelenting worries, it is vital to understand that you do not have to live with fear and anxiety. Treatment can be of immense assistance and for various anxiety problems, therapy is frequently the most effective alternative. This is because anxiety therapy, in contrast to anxiety medication, treats more than merely the symptoms of the issue.
Anxiety disorders considerably vary and as such, therapy must be tailored to your particular symptoms and subsequent diagnosis. For example, individuals afflicted with obsessive-compulsive disorder will be treated with a different approach in comparison with someone who requires assistance for anxiety attacks. In addition, the duration of therapy will be dependent on the severity and type of the anxiety disorder. However, there are several anxiety therapies that are fairly short-term. The American Psychological Association has reported that many individuals significantly improve in roughly 8 to 10 sessions with an anxiety therapist.
A number of different categories of therapy are used for anxiety treatment; however, the primary approaches are exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. Each therapy applied to treat anxiety may be used by itself or in combination with other forms of therapy. Anxiety therapy might be carried out individually or it could happen in a group of individuals who are having similar anxiety issues. However, the objective is the same: to overcome your fears, calm your mind and lower your anxiety levels.
Exposure Therapy to Treat Anxiety
Anxiety is not an enjoyable sensation; therefore, it is only natural to avoid it whenever possible. One of the ways in which individuals can do this is by avoiding situations that trigger anxiousness. For example, individuals with a fear of heights might drive two additional hours to avoid driving across a tall bridge. For some people, if the prospect of speaking in public leaves their stomach in knots, they could skip their friend’s wedding to avoid giving a toast. Besides the inconvenience factor, the issue with avoiding fears is that the individuals never have the opportunity to overcome them. Actually, avoiding fears typically makes the fears stronger.
As suggested by the name, the anxiety therapist uses exposure therapy to expose individuals to the objects or situations they fear. The concept is that via repeated exposures, the individual will feel a heightened sense of control over the circumstance and the anxiety will diminish. One of two ways is used for the exposure: the anxiety therapist could ask the patient to imagine the frightening situation or it may be confronted in real life. This type of therapy might be used by itself or it could be carried out as an aspect of cognitive behavioral therapy.
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