Different Psychotherapy Treatment Strategies for Anxiety

The National Institute of Mental Health reports that nearly 20% of U.S. adults and over 31% of adolescents suffer from anxiety. Psychotherapy treatment is commonly used alone or in combination with medication in order to treat a variety of anxiety disorders.

Anxiety disorders

People who suffer from anxiety disorders generally experience a disproportionate emotional and physical reaction to stressful situations, thoughts, or feelings. Types of anxiety disorders include the following:

• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by extreme or pervasive anxiety regarding several aspects of life, usually accompanied by physical stress symptoms.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a need for control characterized by extreme attention to detail, orderliness, and perfectionism.
• Panic disorder is characterized by repeated, unexpected bouts of extreme fear accompanied by physical manifestations that often mimic a heart attack.
• Phobias are anxiety disorders that create a feeling of irrational fear in regard to an object, place, situation, or living creature.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops in some individuals after experiencing a dangerous, shocking, frightening, or otherwise traumatic event.
• Social anxiety disorder (SAD), also known as social phobia, is characterized by intense and persistent fear of being watched and critiqued by others.

Psychotherapy treatment options

Treatment options for those suffering from one of these anxiety disorders may include medication, therapy, or a combination of the two. Psychotherapy is considered a critical component of any treatment plan for anxiety, with the goal of helping to understand and identify triggers and develop a plan for dealing with them. There are multiple types of psychotherapy that may be attempted depending on the individual patient.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

CBT is based on the idea that thoughts (rather than situations) determine feelings and behaviors. The goal is to develop an understanding of negative thinking and replace them with realistic thoughts and coping strategies. A very common type of therapy for anxiety disorders, CBT is effective in treating multiple types, including phobias and panic disorders.

Exposure therapy

This is a type of CBT method that addresses specific phobias, PTSD, and SAD. Based on the idea, that an effective way to address fear is to face it, exposure therapy uses systematic desensitization to help patients face anxiety triggers and develop better responses to them.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)

This type of treatment was developed for use with borderline personality disorders but is now used to address a variety of conditions. DBT helps patients to develop a new outlook while creating acceptance and change. Patients learn to accept their anxiety while working to modify it.

Art therapy

This experiential form of therapy uses visual arts to express emotion or practice mindfulness. This is typically used in combination with other treatment types.

Psychoanalytic therapy

This model is based on the idea of Dr. Freud that anxiety reflects unconscious thoughts. With psychoanalysis, a therapist helps patients to examine patterns of thoughts and fears to find ways to reduce anxiety.