Mental Health Singapore 101: Treatment for Anxiety Disorder

Treatments for Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is a normal and adaptive feeling that is crucial for our daily functioning, such as alerting us to harm or preparing us for action. Sometimes these feelings may be triggered due to distressing and overwhelming situations, leading to anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders are usually treatable when receiving appropriate and early enough treatment.

Unfortunately, many people with anxiety disorders don’t seek help because they don’t realise that they have an illness, or they don’t feel that there are effective treatments.

However, there are effective anxiety disorder treatments available. Given alone or in combination.

“Talk” Therapy

• Some forms of psychotherapy like, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), is a type of talk therapy which involves a sit down session with a professional.
• In these sessions, there will be discussions on the emotions and the feelings and how it can affect their behaviour negatively.
• These sessions are very useful as it can help the patient have insight into their problem and learn a different ways of thinking, hence, reacting and behaving to a situation to feel less anxious.

Anxiety Disorder Medications

• Medications can give significant relief from symptoms.
• The most commonly used medications are anti-anxiety medications and anti depressants.
• Beta-blockers, used for heart conditions and blood pressure, are sometimes used to control physical symptoms of anxiety.

Self-Help Anxiety Disorder Methods

• Stress management techniques: such as self-talk, talking about the situation with your loved ones , exercising, even Meditation.
• Joining support groups ( in-person or online ) can provide an opportunity to share experiences and coping strategies.
• Learning more about the specifics of a disorder and helping your family and friends to understand your condition better can also be very helpful.

In essence, learn more about it to fight it effectively. Don’t give up , don’t lose the fight.