The Mental Health Consumer Guide

Anxiety Disorders - How To Deal With Panic Anxiety Attacks

Anxiety disorders are some of the most common mental health problems that people face today. In fact it has been estimated that more than 20 million Americans deal with some form of anxiety disorder.

Anxiety disorders are characterized by chronic anxiety and fear, oftentimes growing worse if not treated. Some of the most common anxiety disorders are Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is often characterized by repeated unwanted thoughts oftentimes combined with repetitive unreasonable behaviors.

Social anxiety disorder is an excessive fear of social situations.

Post traumatic stress disorder can occur after a dramatic, often negative life experience and is often characterized by intense fear and feelings of helplessness.

Generalized anxiety disorder is an unreasonable but persistent worry that goes on for several months when there are no obvious major problems in your life.

There are other anxiety disorders that we did not mention here, but the ones listed above are some of the most common and persistent. So how do you deal with anxiety and panic attacks? Here are some of the most commonly used treatments for anxiety disorders:

1. Medication - there are several medications that are commonly used to treat anxiety disorders. Some of the short-term medications are diazepam and buspirone. At times antidepressants can be prescribed, and beta-blockers are often used to help with some of the more physical symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks.

2. Mental health theapy - qualified mental health professionals can work with those who experience anxiety disorders and help them gain control over the unwanted feelings and behaviors that they experience.

3. Certain forms of anxiety such as social anxiety disorder can often respond to treatments involving group therapy as well.

4. Relaxation - learning relaxation techniques including deep breathing exercises has been found to be extremely beneficial for preventing anxiety attacks and lessening their severity when they occur.

5. Certain herbal remedies have also been found to help in lessening anxiety, but you must be careful and always consult your doctor first before using them. It's also beneficial to avoid alcohol of any kind, and caffeine.