Anxiety disorders encompass a variety of different problems. In a chapter of the "Evidenced-Based Practice Manual," psychologist Bernard Bloom and Kenneth Yeager and Alfred Roberts, who both hold doctorates in social work, include panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder as examples of anxiety disorders. These authors indicate that anxiety disorders affect about 16 percent of the population at any given time. Behavioral interventions are effective in treating anxiety.
Self-Monitoring
Psychologists Timothy Brown, Tracy O'Leary and David Barlow, in writing a chapter in the "Clinical Handbook of Psychological Disorders," indicate that self-monitoring is an important part of treatment for anxiety disorders. This process consists of the anxious individual keeping track of information associated with anxiety, including triggers to anxiety and resulting behavior. The collection of this information assists in understanding the problem and helps improve later treatment effectiveness.
Relaxation Techniques
Brown, O'Leary and Barlow describe two forms of relaxation techniques: progressive muscle relaxation, a process of systematically tensing and relaxing muscles throughout the body, and deep-breathing exercises. MayoClinic.com describes other examples, including visualization techniques, meditation and yoga.
Exposure
For some individuals suffering from anxiety, exposure to worries and fears results in a decrease in anxious feelings. Brown, O'Leary and Barlow describe worry exposure, in which an individual vividly imagines a feared event occurring for increasing periods of time. Other forms of exposure involve contact with feared objects, such as spiders or dirt. Bloom, Yeager and Roberts write that exposure treatments appear to be more effective than drugs in treating anxiety.
Time Management
Activities of daily living may become overwhelming for individuals with anxiety. According to Brown, O'Leary and Barlow, teaching the anxiety sufferer basic time management and goal-setting skills may be helpful. This helps the individual break apart tasks for the day or week into more manageable time periods. If the anxiety sufferer develops a task list and has clear goals, he may spend less time worrying about what needs to be done, thereby reducing anxiety.
Problem Solving
Brown, O'Leary, and Barlow describe that anxious individuals often view problems in catastrophic, vague and general ways. Additionally, there is a failure to come up with effective solutions to the problem. Learning problem-solving techniques, such as breaking problems into parts and brainstorming, can reduce associated anxiety.
Exercise
MayoClinic.com indicates that frequent exercise can reduce stress and improve emotional and physical health. Developing a regular exercise routine may improve the ability to cope with stress and subsequently decrease anxiety.
Avoiding Alcohol
Because the use of alcohol and other forms of sedatives can cause anxiety to become worse, MayoClinic.com recommends avoiding these substances.
Eating Healthy
MayoClinic.com recommends inclusion of healthier foods in the diet of an anxious individual. It further suggests the avoidance of junk food. What an individual consumes often has direct consequences on mental and physical health. Therefore, eating poorly generally leads to feeling poorly, and eating a balanced diet may improve mood. By consuming the proper foods, the anxious individual may have more energy to deal with and solve problems more effectively.
Sleep
Improper amounts of sleep may exacerbate problems with mood during the day. It is more difficult to problem-solve and cope with stress if an individual suffers from inadequate sleep. This, in turn, may provoke anxiety problems further. MayoClinic.com recommends getting enough sleep, meaning eight hours, every night.
References
- "Clinical Handbook Of Psychological Disorders"; Timothy A. Brown, Psy.D., Tracy A. O'Leary, Ph.D., and David H. Barlow, Ph.D.; 2001
- "Evidence-Based Practice Manual"; Albert R. Roberts, Ph.D., and Kenneth R. Yeager, Ph.D. (Eds.); 2004
- Mayo Clinic: Generalized Anxiety Disorder
