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Mental Health

Anxiety Disorders - Treatments

How are anxiety disorders commonly treated?

Patients with anxiety disorders can feel optimistic about overcoming their illnesses. Effective treatments are available and new therapies are being discovered.

While each anxiety disorder has its own unique characteristics, most anxiety disorders respond well to two types of treatment: medication and psychotherapy. These treatments are prescribed alone or in combination. Although not cures, both treatments are effective in relieving the symptoms of anxiety disorders.

Diagnosing an anxiety disorder:
Before a treatment is prescribed, a proper diagnosis must be made. A psychiatrist will conduct a thorough diagnostic evaluation that includes an interview and review of medical records. The evaluation serves to identify specific anxiety disorders and to determine whether other medical conditions coexist that may contribute to, or mimic, the anxiety disorder. After a diagnosis is made, a physician will prescribe therapies to treat the anxiety disorder and, when necessary, co-occurring illnesses.

Medication - for the treatment of anxiety disorders:
Antidepressants, mild tranquilizers, and other anti-anxiety drugs are often used to treat anxiety disorders. There are several choices of medication in each drug class. If one drug does not provide expected results, another drug can be prescribed. Because medications often require several weeks to achieve their full effect, patients should have their progress monitored by a physician to determine if a change in dosage, another drug, or a combination of drugs is required.

Psychotherapy - for the treatment of anxiety disorders:
Three types of psychotherapy have been successfully used to address the symptoms of an anxiety disorder:


This page was last updated on: February 5, 2008.

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