Every person experiences stress, and for some, the scales will sometimes slip to levels of anxiety and the worry seems never-ending. Fortunately, there is help for anxiety. Following, are the 3 increasingly popular anxiety treatment methods used by many therapists and counselors.
What are anxiety disorders?
Anxiety disorders are a group of mental disorders characterized by persistent and potentially worsening feelings of anxiety. Feelings of anxiety may occur spontaneously or as a result of exposure to certain situations or objects. Specific symptoms are typically variant depending on the type of anxiety disorder.
1. Generalized anxiety disorder
Generalized anxiety is perhaps the most widely known form of anxiety, characterized by persistent feelings of worry or fear, which last most days of each week and continue for at least six continuous months. These feelings can arise due to various factors, including social situations, health, work or school, and everyday situations. When you struggle with generalized anxiety disorder, you typically experience symptoms such as fatigue, issues with sleeping [typically insomnia or restless sleep], and difficulty concentrating – among other symptoms.
2. Panic disorder
Panic disorder is a special type of anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks. Attacks can be spontaneous or triggered and typically consist of intense feelings of fear that peak in a small amount of time. Many people mistake panic attacks for heart attacks, as symptoms typically arise in the form of heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, difficulty breathing, and feelings of impending doom. If you suffer from panic attacks, you may experience persistent worries about when another attack may occur. You may attempt to find ways to prevent another attack by avoiding situations, people, or objects.
3. Phobias
Phobias are a form of anxiety disorders that involve fear of a specific object or situation. The fear may be irrational, though rational fears are possible and are typically disproportionate to the actual levels of danger presented in the situation or by the object. Symptoms of phobias typically arise in the form of irrational or excessive worry, actively seeking ways to avoid the fear inducer, and intense anxiety when confronting the fear inducer. Studies show that common phobias include:
- Arachnophobia – the fear of spiders [48% of women, 12% of men]
- Acrophobia – the fear of heights [5% of the general population]
- Aerophobia – the fear of flying [25 million Americans]
- Claustrophobia – fear of confined spaces [5% to 7% of the world population]
4. Social anxiety disorder
Social anxiety is characterized by an intense, excessive fear of social situations. Situations that induce anxiety may be those such as performing, talking with others, or walking in front of large groups. When you have a social anxiety disorder, you actively seek out ways to avoid these situations, which may cause interference with your everyday life.
5. Agoraphobia
Perhaps one of the lesser-known forms of anxiety disorders, agoraphobia is a disorder characterized by an intense fear of two or more of the following situations:
- Public transportation
- Open spaces or enclosed spaces
- Standing in line
- Being in a crowd
- Being outside the home by themselves
When you are suffering from agoraphobia, you actively seek to avoid these situations, and in severe cases, you may avoid leaving your home.
6. Separation anxiety disorder
Though separation anxiety is often associated with children, children and adults alike can face its symptoms. If you have separation anxiety, you typically fear being away from those you’ve grown attached to and may fear what could happen during the separation. Driving by fear, you may actively seek to avoid separation and grow anxious when separation is inevitable. Separation anxiety may cause the formation of nightmares about separation.
What are the 3 popular anxiety treatment methods?
What are the 3 popular anxiety treatment methods?1. Client-centered therapy
In simplest terms, client-centered therapy is a form of online anxiety treatment or online therapy, where you talk about your life story in your own timing, while your therapist avoids asking questions. Instead, your therapist may repeat what you say, so you are able to know when you are expressing what you actually mean.
Rather than working as a guide or a problem-solver, your therapist is a facilitator, helping you towards self-discovery and self-acceptance; they seek to understand the world from your perspective. In order for the therapy to be successful, your therapist provides three facilitating conditions:
- Empathy – your therapist completely understands and accepts your thoughts and emotions
- Congruence – your therapist does not present themselves as an authority or superior beings, and rather show themselves truly and accessibly to be seen as honest and transparent
- Unconditional positive regard – your therapist is empathetic and nonjudgmental in order to convey feelings of understanding, trust, and confidence in order to help you make your own choices
2. Existential therapy
A form of online anxiety treatment placing emphasis on the human condition, existential therapy finds its basis in the fundamental belief that everyone experiences internal, psychological conflict due to interactions with specific, innate conditions – otherwise called givens. These conditions are typically seen as freedom and its responsibility, death, isolation, and meaninglessness. Confronting these givens, according to existentialists, is what causes anxiety. Therapy therefore focuses on finding a balance between being aware of the givens and not letting the awareness become overwhelming. Therapists help clients to understand their past choices and the reasoning behind them, therefore using the client’s past as a way to increase freedom and assertiveness.
3. Gestalt therapy
Unlike other forms of online anxiety treatment, gestalt therapy places a large emphasis on the present – helping you become more present by resolving past conflicts. Gestalt therapy places an emphasis on not just talking about emotions; instead experiencing them within online therapy.
Your therapists may work with you through techniques such as asking questions, role-playing, and confrontation in order to help you experience feelings in the present. Gestalt therapy believes that unhappiness is due to a disconnect between the mind and body, so online therapy works to reconnect the two.
Additionally, Gestalt therapy works best if you want to become more self-aware, take more responsibility for yourself, and want to learn to satisfy your needs while respecting the needs of others.
How can Makin Wellness help?
At Makin Wellness, our providers offer specialized anxiety treatment tailored to your unique needs. Our providers are compassionate and empathetic, and they strive to help you every step of the way. If you believe these popular anxiety treatment methods may be a good fit for you, visit our website or call us at (833)-274-heal to set up your appointment and begin your online therapy journey.
Serena Daywalt
B.A. Psychology Major | Point Park University
Research Psychology Intern | Makin Wellness, Downtown Pittsburgh
Events Coordinator and Advocate | PPU Strong Women, Strong Girls
Mentor and Academic Events Coordinator | PPU Honors Student Organization
