Anxiety Treatment With Generic & Brand Drugs

How To Identify And Deal With Anxiety

Everybody deals with anxiety and stress at some point in their life. Most people are able to put it behind them once the event or situation causing it is over, however some people wind up dealing with it even after the trigger has passed.

If the problem is left untreated, it can develop into more serious problems such as panic or anxiety disorders. These problems can be quite serious, leading to both physical and emotional problems.

Learning to identify stress and anxiety symptoms is the first step towards minimizing or eliminating them. Many of the symptoms seem relatively minor when taken on their own, and they can often be associated with other things.

Being aware of them helps a person to realize that stress and anxiety are taking their toll before they progress into something more serious, such as chronic panic and anxiety attacks. These ailments can become very serious, having a negative impact on a person's life in many ways, including their work life, personal life, family relationships and physical health.

A certain amount of stress is unavoidable but knowing how to manage it is the key. Proper nutrition, exercise and relaxation techniques can work great for many people.

Other people may need therapy and/or medication to be able to manage their stress. If there is any indication that anxiety and stress are beyond a person's ability to manage themselves, they should consult with their doctor to get a thorough diagnosis and the most effective treatment plan for their situations.

Stress can be a big problem, but if you are mindful of the symptoms and learn to properly manage it, it doesn't need to take over your life.

Anxiety Disorders And What Can Be Done To Stop Them

Roughly 40 million adults are affected by anxiety disorders each year in the United States alone. There are a number of different forms of these disorders, all of which cause those suffering from them to be filled with uncertainty and fear.

What causes anxiety? Brief forms can be triggered by some kind of stressful event, such as a first date or speaking in public. Ordinarily, these feelings fade quickly after the event is finished. People suffering from anxiety disorders can suffer from these feelings much longer - sometimes months at a time.

Just as there are multiple forms of anxiety disorders, there are also multiple therapies and treatments for them. The most common disorders include the following:

social phobia, or social anxiety disorder (SAD)
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
panic disorder
generalized anxiety disorder

Each form has its own symptoms, but they all suffer from the common symptom of excessive, often irrational, fear and dread.

Social Anxiety Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder is characterized by strong feelings of humiliation and fear of being embarassed. When exposed to these type of situations, people suffering from SAD will often experience symptoms of an anxiety attack or panic attack, therefore they try to avoid these situations, sometimes to irrational extents.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PTSD is most commonly associated with armed forces veterans, but in fact it can affect anyone. It is triggered by some kind of traumatic event. Most people will talk about the trauma they've been through, and work through their feelings of stress.

Some people can't or won't however, and they keep their feelings to themselves until they become overwhelming. When something triggers a memory of the event, their anxiety and fear can appear in the form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder
People suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder are often chronic worriers. They spend a great deal of time worrying about minor things. This can eventually go on for longer and longer periods of time, leading to lack of sleep and lack of concentration on other tasks.

Panic Disorder
Panic Disorder is characterized by feelings of panic, helplessness and terror. These feelings can be triggered by a memory that may not have any relation to where you are or what you're doing at the moment of the attack.

This disconnect between the cause and the actual feelings can be compounded by the fact that you are often wondering when the next attack is going to come.

If you exhibit any of these signs of anxiety, you can be treated and cured. There are a number of panic disorder medications, as well as other forms of treatment. The earlier you identify the problem, the easier it is to deal with. If you think you may be suffering from some form of anxiety disorder, you should seek professional help from your doctor.

How To Identify & Deal With Social Anxiety Disorder

Social Anxiety Disorder is a relatively "new" type of anxiety. It wasn't identified by the medical community for many years - instead it was usually seen as shyness. The pharmaceutical companies are hardly backward, however, and there are a number of panic disorder medications available to treat social anxiety.

Social anxiety is essentially a fear of social situations, to the point where someone will go to extremes to avoid them. That doesn't necessarily mean someone suffering from social anxiety is completely anti-social. In many cases, it is only certain situations that lead to anxiety and panic attacks.

SAD can even affect someone who is normally considered the "life of the party." If a particular situation comes up, or they are asked to do something they fear such as public speaking, they can be gripped by this anxiety.

There are medications available to treat this problem, but before taking that step it's best to confirm that you do in fact suffer from an anxiety disorder, not simply shyness. The following are some of the signs of anxiety to look for:

Fear of being socially humiliated
Fear of embarassment
Shortness of breath
Sweaty hands
Trembling and twitching
Nausea
Lightheadedness
Feelings of incompentence

If you suffer from these symptoms of panic attacks on a regular basis when in a social setting, there is a good chance you are dealing with social anxiety, or social phobia as it is also known.

Unlike some other forms of anxiety it can be difficult to determine whether these feelings are simply shyness or something more serious. If you experience extreme feelings of panic and stress, it is likely more than simply being shy.

In addition to medications, there are also alternative anxiety treatments such as therapy. If you think you may be suffering from a social phobia, you should talk to your doctor about it and get their professional advice.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - What It Is And How To Deal With It

Post traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, occurs following some sort of life-threatening event such as military combat, terrorist attacks or personal assaults. People can suffer from PTSD both from experiencing the event themselves or by witnessing it occur to someone else.

Most people coping with anxiety return to normal after a short time following one of these stressful events. Some people's reaction doesn't go away and can even get worse as time goes on. If the reaction is not dealt with properly, it can develop into post traumatic stress.

People suffering from PTSD will often relive the event through flashbacks or nightmares and they may feel detached from their surroundings and have difficulty sleeping properly. These symptoms can become serious enough that the person's day to day activities are affected.

Post traumatic stress is not entirely psychological - there are biological changes that have been identified to be part of the disorder. It is often made worse by the fact that it often happens along with related problems such as depression, memory problems, and substance abuse.

People suffering from PTSD are often unable to function properly socially or in their family life. They may be faced with problems in their work, their marriage or their parenting skills.

How Is PTSD Treated?
There are several forms of anxiety treatments for post traumatic stress. These include a number of forms of psychotherapy including cognitive-behavioral therapy, group therapy and exposure therapy.

Exposure therapy has the person suffering from PTSD relive the experience repeatedly, under controlled conditions. This allows them to work through the trauma that has led to the stress disorder.

There are also drug treatments available for post traumatic stress. The most commonly used are drugs such as Prozac and Zoloft. These medications have been shown to ease depression and anxiety - common symptoms of PTSD - and help the patient get better sleep.

The most effective treatment seems to be cognitive-behavioral therapy - more effective than drug treatments which often just mask the underlying problem. Drug trials are in their early stages, however, so it is still too soon to know definitively what type of treatment is most effective.

Anyone who is exhibiting any of the symptoms of PTSD should consult with their doctor. They will be able to determine whether it is in fact PTSD, as well as suggest the best treatment plan for the particular situation.

How To Identify And Treat Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Normally, anxiety is a reaction towards some sort of dangerous, threatening or uncertain situation but Generalized Anxiety Disorder puts a different spin on it. GAD is a pathological disorder which is both excessive and chronic. It can have a severe impact on a person's daily activities and life in general.

Generalized anxiety - also known as free-floating anxiety - doesn't need a particular event or situation to be triggered. Unlike most panic attacks, this form of anxiety can occur anytime and doesn't necessarily need some memory or event to bring it on.

GAD is related to irregular levels of neurotransmitters in a person's brain. These are chemical "messengers" that transmit messages to the brain's nerve endings.

Three types of these neurotransmitters are associated with anxiety:

norepinephrine
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
serotonin

These neurotransmitters interact with one another during a period of anxiety, to lower the level of stress. When the levels are irregular it can decrease a person's ability to deal with and manage anxiety and stress.

People coping with anxiety, GAD in particular, are prone to certain environmental stresses, such as work, school, travel or social situations. Sleep disorders are another possible symptom of GAD.

Anytime a stressful situation arises it can lead to a heightened level of anxiety and stress. These situations can include any of the following, for example:

financial concerns
problems at school
work problems
relationship difficulties
other health-related problems

Although GAD itself is a serious problem, it often manifests itself along with other issues such as depression, phobias and panic disorders.

Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety
Some of the common anxiety signs of GAD include difficulty concentrating, not being able to shake persistent worries, constant tension, lightheadedness, nausea and erratic mood swings.

If these symptoms are a problem and generalized anxiety is suspected, a visit to your doctor is important. They can suggest the proper treatment and help to minimize or eliminate the problem. The earlier it is identified and treated, the easier it will be to deal with.

Panic Disorder And How It Affects People's Lives

Most of us have dealt with fear and stress to some degree. There are many situations in life that cause these things to occur but most people are able to get past them and leave the anxiety behind. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to do this - in some cases people suffer from a Panic Disorder that makes them live with fear and stress their entire lives.

Panic Disorder (PD) is a serious condition - the feelings that arise from it are often irrational for the situation and can show up any time, often unexpectedly. Everyday situations like work or family matters can cause panic attacks, leading to problems coping with common events.

Panic attacks have a number of symptoms ranging from an elevated heart rate, dizziness, nausea, terror to even a fear of death. If left unchecked, Panic Disorder can lead to phobias, medical complications, substance abuse and in extreme cases, suicide.

People dealing with anxiety and phobias often live in constant fear of having an attack, which simply compounds the problem. They often restrict their lives to avoid any kind of situation that they fear could lead to an anxiety attack. The end result can be a feeling of being alone, without support for the problem.

The effects of Panic Disorder can range from being relatively mild to withdrawing from social contact or ultimately to agoraphobia. This can leave a person housebound for most of their life, fearing that they will find themselves in a situation that causes anxiety.

Anyone who has these feelings of fear and anxiety, particularly when there is no rational reason for them, should consult with their doctor for a diagnosis. The earlier this is done the better, as it is easier to overcome the disorder if it is identified and treated early.

Treatment for Panic Disorder includes therapy as well as medication. There is no single definitive cure, however. Some people respond better to medication while others respond to therapy. The best course of action is to get a proper diagnosis and treatment for anxiety from your doctor.

Common Anxiety Symptoms And How To Deal With Them

Most of us have worried about something at some point in our lives, but in most cases that worry comes to and end after the event or situation is over. Unfortunately there are some people who deal with these worries all the time - their anxiety symptoms don't go away after the event or situation that triggered them.

What Causes Anxiety?
Symptoms of anxiety can be a result of both physical and psychological causes. When your brain perceives some sort of danger or threat, you normally feel this anxiety. People suffering from anxiety disorders can have these feelings anytime, however - there doesn't necessarily have to be an imminent threat.

When your brain sees a threat, your body steps in with a series of reactions. You heart, lungs and other parts of your body work faster and product adrenaline and stress hormones to cope with the threat.

Common physical symptoms of this reaction include:

nausea
dry mouth
tightness in the chest
chest pain
shortness of breath
rapid heartbeat
dizziness
lightheadedness

In addition to these physical reactions, there are also a number of common psychological ones:

insomnia
anger
lack of concentration
irritability
feelings of lack of control

On top of these symptoms, emotional problems can contribute to the anxiety. People suffering from anxiety disorder symptoms often have a constant sense of unease, even when there is no rational explanation. Other things like situations at work or in your family life can also contribute to anxiety.

These emotional triggers can lead to further problems, creating a vicious cycle that is difficult to stop.

Identifying An Anxiety Disorder
If these symptoms are experienced on an ongoing basis, especially if there is no obvious reason for them, a doctor should be consulted. They can determine whether it is in fact a Panic Disorder or if it is a more temporary problem.

If these symptoms are left unchecked, they can have a negative effect on your everyday life, with anxiety attacks happening for no apparent reason. This can interefere with day to day activities and affect your family, work and social lives.

If necessary, a doctor will determine the proper anxiety treatment plan which may include therapy, medication or a combination of the two.

How To Identify Anxiety Disorder Symptoms

A large number of people are affected by mental conditions that lead to panic and anxiety attacks. These attacks can be overwhelming, but for most people they are generally mild and don't occur on a regular basis. Anxiety Disorder symptoms, on the other hand, are ongoing and often occur with no rational explanation.

If anxiety is a chronic disorder, and not just an ocassional attack, it can cause all kinds of problems in people's lives. It can lead to other health issues as well as psychological and emotional problems, so it needs to be identified and treated as quickly as possible.

How Do You Determine If Your Anxiety Is A Disorder?
Symptoms of an anxiety attack are much the same as those of an anxiety disorder. The difference is, people suffering from a disorder do so on an ongoing basis, often without an event or situation that would normally trigger them.

Because these attacks come at unexpected times, there is a constant fear of when the next attack will come. This leads to a cyclic effect - the fear of the next attack is part of the cause of the attack itself.

Panic Disorder is a serious condition and needs to be treated as quickly as possible. If it's left untreated, the cycle of fear, worry and panic attacks will continue to get worse. Ultimately it can lead to severe conditions such as agoraphobia where the sufferer is basically housebound for fear of having an attack while out.

Anxiety disorders can begin as early as the teenage years through early adulthood. A stressful change or major life transition can also trigger the symptoms.

The following are some of the most common symptoms of an anxiety disorder:

chest pains
lightheadedness
dizziness
elevated heartbeat
excessive sweating
difficult breathing
stomach problems
shaking or trembling

On top of these physical symptoms, there are also a number of psychological symptoms that are common:

a paralyzing feeling of fear or terror
irrational fear of death
feeling like you have lost control
fear of having another anxiety attack
depression

Many of these symptoms are common to any type of panic attack, but if they are experienced on an ongoing basis, with no apparent improvement, it is likely that the problem is more severe.

Anyone suffering from these feelings should consult their doctor as soon as possible. The sooner the problem is identified and the anxiety treatment started the better as it will be harder to solve if left too long.

Effective Anxiety Treatment Methods

Anxiety is a common response to some kind of threat or danger. Most people have dealt with anxiety or phobia at some point in their life, however in some cases it can become much more serious. In these severe cases, anxiety can turn into a chronic disorder. In these cases, anxiety treatment is usually necessary in order to deal with the problem.

Unfortunately, many people who suffer from anxiety disorders feel ashamed by the condition, and are reluctant to seek treatment. Anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of, however, and early treatment is much better than letting the situation progress into some more serious, such as depression and agoraphobia.

There are a number of different types of treatment for anxiety and panic disorders and the best one will depend on a number of factors. The best solution is to consult with a doctor or psychiatrist who specialize in these disorders. They'll be able to properly diagnose the problem and offer the best treatment plan.

It's a good idea to discuss possible treatments with the doctor and any possible side effect they may have on you or your lifestyle.

Traditional treatments for anxiety and panic disorders are medications like serotonin reuptake inhibitors and antidepressants. These drugs lower the chemicals that can cause anxiety attacks. The results are not definitive however - some people will have better results with other methods, or perhaps a combination.

Another method of treating anxiety is through therapy. Often a combination of therapy and medications provides the best results, but of course your doctor will be the best person to speak to about your particular situation.

There are also a number of alternative methods for treating anxiety. These may not be as thoroughly researched and proven as the more common medical remedies, but many people have had good results with them as well.

These alternative remedies include such methods as acupuncture and ayurveda. Both these treatments have been around for hundreds of years and are thought to work by balancing the body's internal energies, thereby bring the anxiety symptoms back under control.

Other common remedies for anxiety and panic include Tai Chi, Yoga, and a number of types of therapy such as cognitive and behavioral therapy. Your doctor will be able to work with your particular situation to set out the optimal treatment plan.

How To Identify Anxiety Attacks

Over the course of our evolution, humans developed an instinct for danger that makes us either fight or run away to survive. This is known as a "fight or flight" reaction. In some cases, this reaction can lead to anxiety attacks, where our bodies are not able to effectively deal with the additional adrenaline that comes with this response.

These attacks are an exaggerated reaction to fear. Some fear or stress is perfectly normal, such as with a public speaking phobia, but in an anxiety attack it can be overwhelming. In some cases, panic can attack with little or no warning - sometime without any logical reason for the reaction.

Symptoms of an Anxiety Attack
There are a number of common panic or anxiety attack symptoms, including:

An elevated heart rate
Trouble breathing
Dizziness or lightheadedness
A feeling of paralyzing fear
Nausea
Trembling or shaking
Chest pains
A tingling in your fingers or toes (aka pins & needles)

These symptoms are also common in any situation where you're faced with a threat or some kind of danger. One of the characteristics of an anxiety attack is that they will show up with little or no warning, often when there is no apparent cause.

Because they can occur with no warning it can be difficult to stop panic attacks once they have begun. As a result, someone dealing with anxiety needs to seek treatment to help minimize or eliminate it.

There are a number of forms of treatment for anxiety, and no single one is most effective. Different people have different results so a person suffering from anxiety disorder symptoms should consult with their doctor to get a thorough diagnosis and treatment plan.

The available treatments include drugs, therapy and even some alternative health choices. Each has advantages and disadvantages, and no single method works for everyone.

In many cases it is a combination of the various types of treatments that will ultimately be the best choice for someone suffering from a panic disorder.

How To Spot Anxiety Attack Symptoms

Many people suffer from anxiety and the problem can range from mild to severe. There are many methods of treating the problem, but the first step is to identify anxiety attack symptoms.

There are a number of physical symptoms that are associated with anxiety disorders. These include headaches, nausea, dizziness and lightheadedness, sweating, difficulty breathing, and pain or tightness in the chest, neck or shoulders. These symptoms are brought on by our body's natural fight-or-flight reaction to a stressful or dangerous situation.

There are also a number of behavioral symptoms of anxiety and panic. These include such things as pacing, restlessness, trembling or shaking, hyperventilation and finger tapping.

As well as these two types of symptoms, there are also emotional symptoms including feelings of fear or worry, feeling detached from reality, thoughts of irrational fear, thoughts of death and a lack of concentration.

In some cases, people suffering from anxiety attacks will transfer the fear and stress that they are feeling to a specific object, place or event. Phobias are a common example of this type of behavior. These phobias are often fears of something that the person has no rational reason for fearing.

Defense Mechanisms Against Anxiety And Panic
People who suffer from anxiety disorders and phobias often build up defense mechanisms against their fears. This can include rationalization, such as convincing themselves that most people feel the same way as they do.

In many cases, the brain's defense against these fears manifests itself as physical illness. Headaches, stomach problems and pains are common symptoms of anxiety, which are part of the body's natural response to fear and stress.

Delusions are another way that some people's mind deals with these problems. If left unchecked, anxiety attacks and phobias can lead to more serious psychological problems, such as believing everyone is out to get them or there is some type of conspiracy against them.

If a person is showing any of these symptoms of anxiety, they should seek professional help as quickly as possible. Their doctor or psychiatrist will be able to properly diagnose the problem and suggest the best treatment plan for their situation. Treatments include both therapy and medication for anxiety, as well as alternative health options.

The longer an anxiety problem is left unchecked, the more difficult it is to overcome. Getting help early on will help attack panic before it attacks back.

3 Treatment Methods To Stop Panic Attacks

Panic can range from mild to severe, and the regularity can vary widely from one person to the next. No matter how serious the problem, however, anyone dealing with them wants to know how to stop panic attacks.

Now, before getting into any details, it should be noted that the best person to discuss this with is a doctor. They will be able to perform a full diagnosis and offer the appropriate treatment plan, depending on the person's specific case.

It is always a wise choice to be armed with some information before going to a doctor, however, so the following is an overview of the types of treatments available for stopping anxiety and panic attacks.

Medications and Drugs
The first of the treatment options is anxiety medications that work to minimize the reactions in your body that result in anxiety and panic.

Anxiety problems are often partially due to chemical inbalances in your body. When a person is faced with a dangerous or threatening situation, there are certain reactions that take place in the body and result in our "fight or flight" instinct.

If these chemicals become imbalanced for some reason, these reactions can take place on an ongoing basis, or at times that there is no apparent reason. This is what results in anxiety disorders, when people are unable to overcome their fears naturally.

Anti anxiety medicine works to bring the chemicals back into proper balance, and hopefully eliminate the problem.

Therapy
The second form of treatment for anxiety disorders is therapy. There are a number of different types of therapy that can be used in a treatment plan, and the results will vary depending on the particular situation.

These different types of therapy include behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychoanalytic therapy and hypnosis.

In many cases, a combination of therapy and medication will be the best way of treating the problem, but it will vary from one person to another.

Alternative Treatments
The third type of treatment for anxiety and panic disorders is alternative remedies. This includes things such as anxiety herbal remedy, acupuncture, yoga and relaxation exercises.

A natural remedy for anxiety tends to be somewhat controversial - people who believe in them are often strongly opposed to drugs and other medications, while members of the medical community often frown upon alternative choices.

Regardless of what one side or the other believes, alternative treatments show positive results for many people, and they can often be used in conjunction with other methods.

These are simply overviews of the three main methods of dealing with anxiety and panic attacks. A doctor will be able to give you much more in-depth information, as well as a thorough diagnosis of the problem.

Anxiety Medications - An Overview Of What's Available

Most of us have experienced anxiety of some sort in our lives, but fortunately the majority of people are able to deal with it and then put it behind them. There are people who can't do this, however, because they are dealing with some kind of anxiety disorder. These anxieties can have serious effects on their lives if left untreated.

There are a number of different methods used to treat anxiety and panic but one of the more familiar methods is anxiety medications. As with any medication, you should always consult your doctor to get their diagnosis and treatment plan, but it doesn't hurt to have some information before going to see the doctor.

The following are some of the medications available to help people coping with anxiety...

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI's) work to raise the chemical serotonin in a person's brain. They are generally started at a low dosage level then increased gradually until a therapeutic level is reached. This type of medication has relatively mild side-effects, such as nausea and jitteriness and is therefore a popular option.

Tricyclics are another option, which are also started at a lower dosage then gradually increased. This type of medication has traditionally been the most common for dealing with anxiety problems. The side effects of these are also relatively mild, including dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth and weight gain.

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAO's) are the type of antidepressant drug that has been around the longest. People taking this type of medication must be careful as a specific diet must be followed at the same time.

Food and drinks that contain a substance called tyramine are to be avoided. These include red wine and cheese. If these interact with the medication, dangerous blood pressure increases or other serious side-effects can occur.

Benzodiazepines are another type of medication used to fight anxiety. They are able to relieve the symptoms of panic and anxiety quickly, however there are several side effects associated with them, one of the worst being their addictiveness. Because addiction can occur, this is generally a short-term anxiety medication.

There are a variety of types of medication for anxiety available to help treat disorders, and your doctor will be able to give you the best treatment plan, based on your particular situation and needs.

How Behavioral Therapy Can Help With Anxiety Problems

By undergoing behavioral therapy you'll be trying to control your reactions to a given situation. Generally this situation will try to mimic one which triggers your anxiety attacks. Don't be worried though,you won't be put into this situation your first time at bat. Your therapist will work with you and build you up to the point where you'll at least be able to attempt defeating your fears with physical action and no I don't mean karate chopping or anything like that.

What you will be prompted to do in Behavioral therapy will be to relearn all of your reactions and responses that you've honed over your lifetime when facing any given situation. Basically this form of therapy believes that if you can control your behavior, or your reactions, you can change your thought process along with it.

When I say "control your behavior" I mean how your body reacts instinctively to any given situation,sometimes without you even realizing it. If we take the ever simple example of a car accident, when you're mind recognizes the oncoming danger your body automatically goes into emergency mode.You'll spin the wheel and try to avoid the collision all within the space of a few seconds and all without conscious decision or thought.

It's this type of unconscious reactions,which triggers your anxiety that Behavioral therapy will try change so that you'll be able to fight back at the anxiety and panic pushing at you.

So for instance if you're faced with your worst panic inducing fears then you'll be taught to handle it differently. Mind numbing fear might not be your first choice of reaction if you've come to terms within your therapy sessions.

In which case, you might just be able to relax your tensed muscles and assess the situation first.

Is it a threat?
Can you be harmed by it?
Do you need to run and run fast?

These should hopefully be going through your mind instead of thoughts of mind numbing terror, after successfully completing your Behavioral therapy.

Dealing With Anxiety Through Cognitive Therapy

Is it a threat?
Can you be harmed by it?
Do you need to run and run fast?

These should hopefully be going through your mind instead of thoughts of mind numbing terror, after successfully completing your Behavioral therapy.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - A Combination Of Two Styles

To put it simply , Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT is a combination of both types of therapies and is one that is favored by a lot of psychotherapists in treating anxiety disorders. So what can you expect from CBT? Does it treat your physical responses or your emotional responses?

It does both really. It taps into the grey areas that neither of the other two therapies can do alone. It conditions your response to panic and anxiety, to change your physical behavior and it also taps into your emotional reserves to help you change your automatic emotional responses.

That's why CBT is such a popular therapy - it covers all the bases, not just one. Also when compared to the other different types of psychotherapy CBT has one of the fastest patient turnarounds with an average number of sessions only lasting perhaps as long as 16 sessions in total. (This is the average figure regardless of what problem you're suffering from, not just anxiety disorders.)

Not only are you not kept in sessions for a long period of time, but it also frees you up from a prolonged attachment with your therapist. Don't get me wrong this connection with your therapist is a good thing to have, but some people are prone to become too emotionally dependent upon their therapists to give them all the answers.

What CBT will do for you without a doubt however, is make you see the world around you for what it is. It'll also bring you to a point where you can take your fears out of that dusty cupboard in your mind where you stuffed them into and give it a good shake up. These techniques have been proven time and time again to work, and there are plenty of people who are successful cases that prove CBT does work.

Psychoanalytic Therapy And How It Can Help You Deal With Anxiety

Psychoanalytic therapy works on a long term basis with your therapist working with you, sometimes for years. What it tries to do slowly is to bring to the forefront of your mind those unconscious memories and thoughts that drive your anxiety. Something a bit like CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy), where you're forced to confront your fears but it's gentler and less intrusive.

You're encouraged to find these thoughts and behavioral patterns for yourself and work out the subtle underlying causes behind these with your therapist. Sometimes if the underlying causes for your anxiety or panic attacks have been building up over a length of time, a therapy like CBT might not be able to help you.

You might need to time and greater attention to sort out each individual thread and come to terms with it before you can think about moving on. Don't be ashamed if this is the case for you. All people are different and will move forward at their own pace, so don't try to rush through your psychoanalysis thinking that you need to finish it off as soon as possible or think that you're progressing too slowly. There's no such thing as too slow when you're having therapy.

Is There A Natural Remedy for Anxiety?

A natural remedy for anxiety can encompass many areas and is also sometimes called "Alternative" treatments, alternative in context to western medical treatments that is. These treatments are often thought of as radical and in some cases have no bearing on logic or scientific fact whatsoever. Yet more and more you'll find that people are turning to these alternative treatments to cure their various ailments.

Natural anxiety remedies can include a number of different things, including the following:

Herbal remedies
Nutrition & diet
Vitamins
Ayurveda
Aromatherapy
Acupuncture
Tai Chi
Meditation

Herbal remedies that can help reduce anxiety and stress include Chamomile, Kava-Kava, skullcap, passion flower, Valerian root and Siberian ginseng. Some of these can be brewed as tea, others added to bathwater as a relaxant.

Nutrition and vitamin supplements are thought to have a positive impact on the immune system, which is often affected by anxiety and panic disorders. Reducing or eliminating certain things from your diet, such as caffeine or refined sugar, can also have a positive effect on anxiety problems.

Many of the holistic treatments such as acupunture and ayurveda have been used for hundreds of years in eastern cultures. There is a great deal of debate about whether they are in fact helpful, but many people have reported positive results from them.

Certain forms of exercise, such as Tai Chi and Yoga, have also shown positive results for many people. Exercise helps keep your body in "fighting shape" and more able to deal with the ups and downs of anxiety attacks. It can also give you an outlet to let off some steam, which may help to minimize sudden attacks.

If you are indeed looking into trying these natural treatments for yourself you should consult your doctor before engaging in any of them. Even something that deals with the problem naturally could have some adverse side effects on you.

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