Medication and therapy are the two most common forms of treatment for anxiety disorders. When a person seeks professional help from a licensed mental health professional, the therapist usually completes a treatment plan. Many times this treatment plan is reviewed and signed by the patient. There are many components to a treatment plan.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Treatment plans for anxiety include the client's specific symptoms and diagnosis. A treatment plan for anxiety would not simply state anxiety as the diagnosis, because there are five specific diagnoses for anxiety disorders. These diagnoses include generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and specific phobias, according to Helpguide.org. Symptoms that might be listed on the treatment plan include constant worrying, difficulty concentrating, irritability, fatigue and physical symptoms such as nausea, rapid heartbeat and dizziness.
Anxiety disorders and other mental health issues are diagnosed with five Axes. Axis I entails the specific diagnosis such as generalized anxiety disorder and alcohol abuse. Axis II includes any personality disorders and developmental disorders. Axis III includes medical issues which are extremely important to consider when treating a client and prescribing medication. Axis IV covers psychosocial issues such as family problems and poverty. On Axis V, a therapist lists the client's global assessment of functioning on a scale of 1 to 100. A low score means low functioning. All mental health professionals on the treatment team use this diagnosis when working with the client.
Specific Treatment Goals
In another section of the treatment plan, the person's specific treatment goals would be listed. The goals should be measurable and time-focused. Some goals for social anxiety disorder might be for the client to introduce herself to one new person per week for one month, reduce physical symptoms of anxiety when talking to peers within two months and give a presentation in class within one month. The therapist and client discuss treatment goals together before the therapist includes them in the treatment plan.
Many therapists review the treatment plan to go over treatment goals every session. Others cover it once a month or every couple months. The treatment goals should be updated on a regular basis.
Medication
Sometimes medication is recommended, especially for severe anxiety symptoms. If someone begins taking antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications, it's important that everyone on the treatment team such as the psychiatrist, therapist and group counselor know what medication she's taking, how she's responding to the medication and the dosage. It's included in the treatment plan, because usually, everyone on the treatment team has access to it.
