How To Cure Anxiety

Want to learn how to cure anxiety? One of the most effective ways is to try exposure based behavioral therapy.

Normal Ways Of Treating Anxiety

Usually, when you are diagnosed with an anxiety condition, your doctor will prescribe one or more medications. One of the main classes of drugs are known as antidepressants. At its name suggests, these drugs were originally developed for treating those with depression.

While testing, however, researchers found that these drugs were effective in treating patients with anxiety as well. And, the practice has continued. The most popular of these antidepressant drugs are Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil, and Celexa.

A class of medications designed specifically for the treatment of anxiety are called benzodiazepines. You may know these primarily as Ativan, Xanax, and, of course, Valium. A major drawback to benzodiazepines is that, if you use them for a long period of time, your body develops a tolerance for them. As a result, you have to keep increasing the amount in order to get the same effect as before.

Drugs are undoubtedly useful and they are not going away. But they typically have three major problems. One is that many patients experience one or more negative side effects from taking them. The second is that as you continue to use them, they become less effective over time. And, three, if not carefully supervised there is a danger in becoming addicted to certain drugs.

Because of these drawbacks, many patients look for more natural ways to control their anxiety.

Exposure Based Behavioral Therapy Cure For Anxiety Attacks

One of the most used treatments used to cure patients of anxiety is something called exposure based behavioral therapy. As its name reveals, this works mainly by continually exposing the person to the thing that he is afraid of and gradually desensitizing him to it. Over time, after repeated exposure, the fear and anxiety begins to gradually diminish until it disappears.

For example, a person with agoraphobia ( a fear of crowded spaces) may be encouraged to attend small gathering places such as neighborhood parks and gradually work their way up to huge amusement parks. At each increased level of exposure, the person will have less and less fear.

The therapist may use many tools to help you along the way. He may use talk therapy, hypnosis, bio-feedback exercises, deep breathing exercises, and other tools to help train your subconscious mind to release your fears.

This is one of the most effective ways to actually cure an anxiety as opposed to simply treating it. But, it does have drawbacks also.

One, is that, depending on the particular phobia or anxiety and its intensity, it can take a long time. Unlike, medications, the effect will not be immediate. This is why, this technique is often used in combination with medication, at least in the beginning.

Another drawback is that some insurance policies may not pay for this type of treatment. This will force the person to pay from his own pocket, opt for drug therapy instead, or simply do without treatment.

Anti Anxiety Medication
Many diagnosed anxiety disorders will respond to anti anxiety medication but the dosages and period of time for which they are taken should be closely monitored.

Causes Of Anxiety
Though it really is a mental condition and roots deeper than we thought, there are numerous causes of anxiety that lead us to feel restless, stressed out or pressured, and alone. Here are some of the many causes of anxiety that may lead to bigger problems.

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