Severe Anxiety Treatment

Anxiety is more than just worry. It is a medical condition which requires treatment. When anxiety becomes severe, it can also be disabling. This can impact your ability to function on a daily basis and lead to other mental health conditions or even substance abuse. Recovery is attainable but requires effort on multiple fronts. The following strategies can help you manage severe anxiety.

Medical Assessment

• A thorough medical and mental health evaluation is needed to determine the scope of the problem. There are physical conditions which can mimic an anxiety disorder. These include low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), hyperthyroidism, a benign heart murmur known as mitral valve prolapse, and asthma. In addition to underlying medical concerns, anxiety itself is a medical issue which leads to chemical changes in the brain and may require medication to reduce or alleviate symptoms. Severe anxiety often coexists with other mental health issues such as major depression, suicidal thoughts, or substance abuse as some people cope by self-medicating with drugs or alcohol. It is important to disclose all symptoms (such as panic attacks, obsessive thinking, insomnia, heart palpitations, nausea, unreasonable fears, dizziness, excessive sweating, shakiness or chest pains) to your healthcare provider to receive appropriate medical management.

Mental Health Treatment

• Counseling is necessary as medication alone will not change negative habits that you have acquired over time. As of July 2009, cognitive behavioral therapy is the current treatment of choice for anxiety sufferers. A trained therapist can assist the sufferer in identifying irrational thoughts that support an anxious mood and can help challenge these with more supportive and realistic beliefs. Counseling can offer skills for dealing with fears that lead to avoidance of certain situations. Examples include agoraphobia (fear of open spaces), claustrophia (fear of closed in spaces) and bacteriophobia (fear of germs). Counseling will also address issues of low self-esteem, which are common for those diagnosed with severe anxiety.

What You Can Do

• Along with medical and mental health treatment, lifestyle changes are an essential part of relieving symptoms. Regular exercise will elevate chemicals in the brain that support a positive mood and will promote positive changes in the body that allow relaxation to occur. Reducing or eliminating caffeine and sugar will also be necessary as both can contribute to severe anxiety. Stress management skills, such as deep breathing and meditation, will provide a healthy outlet to turn to rather than letting emotions bottle up and overflow into a panic attack.