Summary: (http://www.mortylefkoe.com/wp-content/uploads/marty_lefkoe_headshots_Blog_053_201_edit_235251x3002-150x150.jpg)Have you ever experienced anxiety? If you haven’t yet, the odds are good that you will at some point in your life. According to MedicineNet, anxiety is definitely a pretty common thing! In the United States, more than 60 million people will suffer from anxiety at a certain point in their lives and more than three million will have a panic disorder in the course of their lifetime. Over four million people experience general anxiety each year. Panic attacks typically begin during teenage years, from 15 to 19. (Emphasis in original.) (http://anxietybuzz.com/how-many-people-have-anxiety/ (http://anxietybuzz.com/how-many-people-have-anxiety/)) If you are one of the millions of people who already has suffered from anxiety (and I am one of them), you know how incapacitating it can be. If you haven’t yet, it’s not something to look forward to. When you experience anxiety it’s hard to focus, to make decisions, to act, and to think. All you want to do is escape, but there is no escape at the moment. (http://www.mortylefkoe.com/wp-content/uploads/bigstock-Anxiety-and-Stress-and-its-Des-20348060-300x194.jpg)Luckily there are effective anxiety treatments. There are three major approaches to anxiety treatment and several sub-categories (adapted from the Anxiety Disorders Association of America): 1. Psychotherapy · Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) A well-established, highly effective, and lasting treatment is called cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT. It focuses on identifying, understanding, and changing thinking and behavior patterns. Benefits are usually seen in 12 to 16 weeks, depending on the individual. In this type of therapy the patient is actively involved in his or her own recovery, has a sense of control, and learns skills that are useful throughout life. CBT typically involves reading about the problem, keeping records between appointments, and completing homework assignments in which the treatment procedures are practiced. Patients learn skills during therapy sessions, but they must practice repeatedly to see improvement. · Exposure Therapy A form of CBT, exposure therapy is a process for reducing fear and anxiety responses. In therapy, a person is gradually exposed to a feared situation or object, learning to become less sensitive over time. This type of therapy has been found to be particularly effective for obsessive-compulsive disorder and phobias. · Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Also known as ACT, this type of therapy uses strategies of acceptance and mindfulness (living in the moment and experiencing things without judgment), along with commitment and behavior change, as a way to cope with unwanted thoughts, feelings, and sensations. ACT imparts skills to accept these experiences, place them in a different context, develop greater clarity about personal values, and commit to needed behavior change. · Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Integrating cognitive-behavioral techniques with concepts from Eastern meditation, dialectical behavioral therapy, or DBT, combines acceptance and change. DBT involves individual and group therapy to learn mindfulness, as well as skills for interpersonal effectiveness, tolerating distress, regulating emotions. · Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) Often referred to as IPT, interpersonal therapy is a short-term supportive psychotherapy that addresses interpersonal issues in depression in adults, adolescents, and older adults. IPT usually involves 12 to 16 one-hour weekly sessions. The initial sessions are devoted to gathering information about the nature of a person’s depression and interpersonal experience. · Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Under certain conditions eye movements appear to reduce the intensity of disturbing thoughts.
