Life is full of problems and it is perfectly normal to worry about some of them once in a while. While most of us take several of these ups and downs of life in our stride, some of us take the ‘worrying’ to another level, where it starts to interfere with normal daily existence. Most of the time these overt worrying have no real reason but the perception of someone who is suffering from a condition called generalized anxiety disorder or GAD, things are more serious.

While the GAD sufferers feel tense and anxious all the time, this condition gradually takes a toll on the person’s health too. The only redeeming piece of news is that there are several generalized anxiety disorder treatment options available including medical interventions (drug therapy, support groups and anxiety disorder centers) as well as self help therapies.

One of the common mistakes most people make is that they tend to ignore many tell-tale signs and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, presuming that they are just temporary phases that would soon be a thing of the past. However, soon the symptoms get the better of the suffering individual and medical intervention is then imminent. Here are some of the common generalized anxiety disorder treatment options available:

• It is important to remember that to get the right diagnosis and the most appropriate generalized anxiety disorder treatment, it is imperative that you consult a medical professional, preferably a qualified psychiatrist.
• The most effective generalized anxiety disorder treatment is that which incorporates both drug and counseling therapy along with self help measures.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT is one of the most common lines of therapy that is particularly effective for generalized anxiety disorder treatment. Here the therapist examines the pattern of negative thoughts and locates the possible causes of such thoughts. There are essentially five components of CBT:

• Education: This teaches the patient of GAD the differences between helpful and negative thoughts. This aims to increase the awareness of the patient towards the condition.
• Monitoring: This part teaches the patient to monitor his or her own condition including learning more about the triggers that cause the anxiety episodes.
• Physical control: This part consists of teaching the patient some breathing and muscle relaxation techniques to reduce the fight or flight response that are responsible for triggering fear and anxiety.
• Cognitive control: Learning about cognitive control strategies the patient can ably identify the fears and negative thoughts and even learn to challenge them from reappearing.
• Behavioral control: CBT effectively teaches the patient to tackle the fears, phobias and distressing thoughts head on, instead of trying to escape from them.

The duration of generalized anxiety disorder treatment would largely depend on the severity of the condition. While some generalized anxiety disorder treatment could be short term, others could take weeks if not months. Many of the treatment methods can be practiced at home and put into regular use.

Anti-anxiety drugs and anti depressants are usually used for generalized anxiety disorder treatment. There are basically three types of drug therapy used by doctors. They are:

• Busiprone: considered to be the safest option, this group of anti anxiety drugs does not have any sedative effect. Not addictive but may not completely remove anxiety.
• Benzodiazepines: Known for their quick onset of action (within 30 minutes to an hour) this group of medicines provides rapid relief. However physical and emotional dependence on the drug is known, after a few weeks of use.
• Anti depressants: Though very common, anti depressants can not provide immediate relief and the full impact of the generalized anxiety disorder treatment is not felt before 6 weeks. Some brands also induce nausea and cause sleep disorders.

Over and above the generalized anxiety disorder treatment options mentioned above, there are several self help strategies that can also bring short and long term relief from GAD symptoms.

Not many people like the idea of going to a hospital or a clinic to get treatment – be it for panic attacks or any other ailment. These people are also averse to using prescription medication for the fear of side effects. Of course cost implications for both these forms of therapy are surely a matter of grave concern for many.

Fortunately, there are several home remedy options for treating panic attacks. These involve several things which you need to do, as well as many things which you should not. Let us look at some of the things which can do at home to get short and long term relief from panic attacks:

Things you should not do

• Avoid sweetened foods, coffee and aerated drinks.
• Quit smoking as nicotine triggers panic attacks.
• Limit alcohol consumption.
• Watch what you eat. Know more about the kind of foods which trigger panic attacks and foods which are helpful if you have panic disorder. You could even go by the suggested percentages of the different food groups to chalk out a well balanced meal. A healthy body may promote a healthy mind.
• Panic attacks could also be medication induced. Talk to your doctor about it. You could also get more information on the internet about such medications.
• Avoid stimulants and intoxicants. Panic attacks can also be triggered by sedative abuse.
• Stop thinking about negative things and delving in the past. Both the past and the future are illusory – they are what they are and would be. In stead, focus on the present and be grateful for what you have. This way, your mind can be trained to think more about positive things.
• Avoid processed foods that contain a host of saturated fats.

Things you should do

• Replace your urge to have hot drinks with natural teas.
• Ensure that your diet is rich in vitamin B, magnesium and calcium; however discuss your diet first with your doctor.
• Share your condition and feelings with someone close. You may initially feel uncomfortable doing this, but talking can take a lot of load off your mind. And who knows, you might get some valid suggestions for improvement from some unexpected source!
• People will advise you to go for some form of physical exercise. However, often this may not be possible, especially if you have disability. Weight lifting or simple breathing exercises can help in a lot of positive energy flow through your mind and body. This can actually help in warding off panic attacks.
• One of the simplest and least exhausting exercises is breathing exercise, which can be done anytime, anywhere and in any position. Simply take a deep breath, hold it for as long as you can, and then breathe out.
• Stress is the number one promoter for panic attacks. The funny thing about stress is that it controls you because you allow it. So, if you consciously try and avoid taking on stress, you might be partially successful in warding off stressful events or even thoughts. With time and practice, you can actually be in a position where you decide whether you want to be stressed or not. Practicing yoga and meditation including breathing exercises can be an effective home remedy for panic attacks.
• If your health permits, go for short walks for about 10 to 15 minutes at least 3 times a week.
• Try to keep busy with things that you like to do. This can keep your mind off many unpleasant thoughts and worries.
• Learn how to use paper bags that help with hyperventilation problem.
• Drink a minimum of 10 to 12 glasses of water every day.
• Sleep for 8 to 10 hours.
• Practice positive self-talking by which you provide a continuous stream of positive thoughts to yourself. As incredible as it may sound, this kind of positive auto suggestion can work wonders with your state of mind and turn it more positive.

Many of us make the crucial mistake of equating anxiety disorders as too much ‘worrying’ and attribute such behaviors to age, etc. In fact, all of us worry about something or the other that is going on with our lives. But a person may also worry excessively, to the extent that the ‘worrying’ completely jeopardizes his or her very existence. He or she is then diagnosed to suffer from a common condition called generalized anxiety disorder or GAD.

The worries of a person suffering from GAD are very different from normal types or worrying. The worries are excessive, uncontrollable and normally irrational. He or she may worry over mundane everyday things and the intensity is disproportional to the actual cause for worry. These people anticipate danger and disaster; they are overtly concerned about financial matters, health conditions about someone in the family; difficulties at work place; family issues or even problems with relationships. Though these are in reality, generalized anxiety disorder symptoms most of us care to ignore it, till the physical manifestations start to appear.

The physical generalized anxiety disorder symptoms include headache, tiredness, restlessness, nausea, numbness of hands and feet, muscle tension, difficulty in swallowing, intermittent breathing problems, inability to concentrate, trembling and quivering, irritability, sweating, insomnia and many more. To formally diagnose that the person is indeed suffering from this condition, the generalized anxiety disorder symptoms must persist for at least 6 months.

The statistics of people suffering from generalized anxiety disorder symptoms can sound alarming. It is estimated that close to 6.8 million American adults are its victims. When diagnosed under clinical settings, 55 to 60% of people are women. In a given year, approximately 3.1% of people aged 18 and above are diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder symptoms.

There are some interesting aspects of the symptoms of GAD. While they fluctuate, many of the symptoms may appear at particular times of the day and there may also be good or bad days, as far as the generalized anxiety disorder symptoms are concerned. Stress may not be the root cause of GAD, but it can worsen the situation further. It is also fact that the symptoms may not be the same for everyone. But most people suffering from GAD would experience a combination of a number of physical as well as psychological symptoms.

While the physical symptoms have been discussed earlier, the psychological aspects of generalized anxiety disorder symptoms include:

• Irrational fear
• Constant irritability
• Inability to control anxious thoughts
• Incapable of relaxing
• Difficulty in focusing
• Fear of rejection
• Fear of losing control

Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms may appear without any apparent trigger. The fears and worries of the victims usually have no relevance to the issues they are worrying about. However when the level of GAD is mild, the victims can perform socially and may also hold a job. However when the symptoms get severe, the sufferers may find it difficult to perform the simplest of daily activities tough. While the symptoms may start to appear at any phase of a person’s life, the highest risk is between childhood and middle age. Genetic reasons are considered to be one of the common contributing factors for developing generalized anxiety disorder symptoms.

Social anxiety disorder is a type of anxiety disorder where the victim is overwhelmed by an intense sensation of fear and apprehension at any impending social event. The situations that provoke the symptoms of social anxiety disorder are called triggers and can include any event starting from public speaking, shopping, dining out, interacting with a stranger, speaking or writing in public, etc. In short, any unfamiliar event can be a trigger for social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, where the victim feels that he or she may be judged or evaluated.

Like the other forms of anxiety disorders, there are countless options available for social anxiety disorder treatment. Starting from psychotherapy, self help strategies, to group therapy, there is no dearth of options when it concerns social anxiety disorder treatment. There is nothing called the ‘best’ treatment option here as the treatment approach may vary from one person to the other. Here is some basic information about the choices you have:

• Lifestyle changes as an option for social anxiety disorder treatment: Agreed, these are not stand alone therapy options but they can definitely support the overall progress of any therapy. Some the changes that are helpful include: avoiding caffeine; limiting alcohol consumption; quitting smoking; getting adequate sleep.
• Drug therapy for social anxiety disorder treatment: this form of therapy may relieve some of the symptoms but it is not a permanent cure for this disorder. This is proven by the fact, that once you stop medication, the symptoms may reappear. Medication works best when taken in conjunction with other self-help techniques that address the root cause of the problem. Beta blockers, antidepressants and benzodiazepines are the three basic drug groups that are prescribed for social anxiety disorder treatment. Many brands in this therapy group are FDA-approved.
• CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy is considered to be amongst the top therapy options for social anxiety disorder treatment.
• Group therapy is yet another social anxiety disorder treatment option that uses acting, videotaping and mock interviews that usually cause anxiety. As the patient is exposed more and more to the situations that he or she is fearful of, the more confident the patient feels and the anxiety load is lessened.
• While the duration of any social anxiety disorder treatment varies from one person to the other, they are usually short term. This is because many of the techniques can be practiced at home and that is what the doctor recommends.
• There are several breathing exercises that form part of social anxiety disorder treatment. These exercises control the physical symptoms of anxiety and can calm you down.
• The second technique to control social phobia involves challenging negative thoughts. This can be done either through therapy or on your own. Starting from identifying the repeated negative thoughts that haunt the mind, to analyzing and challenging them, this process has been found to be an effective form of social anxiety disorder treatment.
• Gradual facing the fears is often suggested by therapists for treating social phobia. The essence of this social anxiety disorder treatment is to confront the fearful situations, one at a time, in stead of escaping from them. This way you can work yourself up the ‘anxiety ladder’ and gradually overcome the frequent fears and apprehensions that trouble you.
• Joining a social skill or an assertive training class can also be helpful for many patients of social phobia. When there is a problem connecting to people, such training can be greatly helpful.