Anxiety & Panic Attacks
The
extent of the problem
Anxiety is a very common problem in the community. It has
been estimated that in general practice populations, as
many as 27% of patients with psychiatric symptoms have an
anxiety state.
What
is anxiety?
Anxiety disorders can vary enormously from severe generalized
anxiety in which there is a feeling of constant dread with
unpleasant bodily symptoms, to panic attacks, which may
be a sudden onset of these symptoms, appearing to come out
of the blue. Fear of having a panic attack can be very disabling,
preventing people from going about normal work or social
activities and leading to agoraphobia. Other fears (phobias)
may focus on specific situations or objects. Many sufferers
of anxiety have experienced a mixture of these conditions,
possibly over a long period of time.
Mood
With anxiety, the mood is one of feeling keyed up and irritable.
Cognitions
The thinking patterns characteristically focus on excessive
worry about things. There may be thoughts about being vulnerable
or ineffective, or being threatened by events or people.
Often there is poor concentration.
Biological
Features
An anxious person is in a state of high arousal: there may
be increased heart rate, sweating, shaking, nausea, dizziness,
dry mouth and a range of other symptoms.
Behaviour
& Motivation
With anxiety, the person may be uneasy, jumpy and restless,
always on the lookout for possible danger or difficulty
in an effort to avoid such situations. A sufferer may appear
to have few distressing symptoms simply by avoiding situations
in which they arise.
Causes
There is no one cause for the onset of an anxiety disorder.
There may be a family predisposition. Sometimes the onset
coincides with a life event: bereavement, unemployment,
childbirth, etc. or with physical illness, or with a period
of stress.
Treatment
In the past, benzodiazepine medication has been prescribed,
but the evidence of habituation and dependency has caused
a decline in such prescription. More importantly, other
types of treatment have been shown to be more effective
in reducing symptoms and maintaining the improvement over
time. In studies comparing psychological treatments, the
most effective treatments have been shown to be those which
use a cognitive-behavioural approach. This approach includes
a range of well-established techniques based firmly on research
findings. Therapy is structured and collaborative: patient
and therapist work together on explicitly agreed goals.
It is an educative approach: the anxious person learns new
ways of behaving and thinking and abandons the dysfunctional
habits if they are found to be unrealistic.
For more information on referring to the clinic please contact us on 01323 430831 or complete our online enquiry form.
The
components would include:
- Teaching
about the nature of anxiety, including the physical symptoms.
Any misinterpretations that such symptoms are harmful
or dangerous can be corrected;
- Training
in relaxation techniques to reduce arousal and physical
symptoms of anxiety;
- Defusing
fears through experimentation and rationalisation;
- Increasing
activity and attempting to go into the feared situations,
with rewards for doing so.
Such
techniques have been used on an individual basis, as well
as groups. They have long been shown to be effective for
the treatment of discrete phobias but research over the
last ten years has shown that cognitive behavioural therapy
is the most effective treatment for generalised anxiety,
agoraphobia and panic disorder. It is superior to medication
in having a lasting effect: once the anxious person has
learned new ways of responding to situations it seems that
they are able to retain the information and apply it after
treatment has been completed.
Where
someone is experiencing difficulties in adjustment, or relationship
problems, they may well benefit from other forms of counselling
or psychotherapy, but if the symptoms of anxiety have reached
clinically significant levels, the evidence favours a cognitive-behavioural
approach.
What
are behavioural and cognitive psychotherapies?
Behavioural
and Cognitive Psychotherapies are psychological approaches
which are based on scientific principles and which research
has shown to be effective for a wide range of problems.
Clients and therapists work together to identify and understand
problems in terms of the relationship between thought, feelings
and behaviour. The approach usually focuses on difficulties
in the here and now, and relies on the therapist and client
developing a shared view of the individual’s problem. This
then leads to the identification of personalised, time-limited
therapy goals and strategies which are continually monitored
and evaluated. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists
work with individuals, families and groups. The approaches
can be used to help anyone irrespective of ability, culture,
race, gender or sexual preference.
Behavioural
and Cognitive Psychotherapists are usually health professionals
such as nurses, psychologists, doctors, social workers,
counselors, etc. Whilst all behavioural and cognitive psychotherapists
share the above principles, individual therapists may call
themselves Cognitive Psychotherapists, Behavioural Psychotherapists,
Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapists or Rational Emotive
Behavioural Therapists. These different titles often reflect
the preference and training of the individual therapists
for specific techniques which addresses problematic thoughts,
assumptions and beliefs directly (Cognitive Psychotherapists),
address behaviour directly (Behavioural Psychotherapists)
or a combination of techniques aimed at addressing thought
and behaviour (Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapists, Rational
Emotive Behavioural Therapists). However, whatever techniques
they prefer to use, all therapists aim to help clients achieve
desired change in the way they think, feel and behave.
For more information on referring to the clinic please contact us on 01323 430831 or complete our online enquiry form.
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