Many treatment alternatives are available to reduce the symptoms of anxiety disorder and manage the disorder. Among the methods used to treat anxiety disorders, the most frequently preferred treatment method is psychotherapy and psychotherapy practices performed by a psychologist. Another treatment method widely preferred by individuals is the use of psychiatric medications (antidepressants) prescribed by a psychiatrist. By emphasizing professions, it is aimed to prevent confusion between professions. In order to resolve this confusion, it will be discussed in detail in the following sections.
If it is aimed to provide real and correct anxiety treatment, the first thing that needs to be done (primarily) is to identify the triggering factors of the patient's anxiety disorder and the way it occurs. , needs to be addressed and examined. Triggering factors are an important part of treatment. The nature of the triggers should also be examined.
What are the Methods Used to Treat Anxiety Disorder?
There are two professional groups you will go to to treat your anxiety disorder. One of these professions is psychologist and the other is psychiatrist. There are some differences between these two professions. Namely: If you have gone to a treatment center and a medication has been prescribed for you, it means you have gone to a psychiatrist, not a psychologist. Psychiatrists are graduates of medical school. If no medication has been prescribed and he has talked to you for approximately one (1) hour, and if this conversation is for awareness and awareness, he has listened, and if this listening means listening without judging, criticizing, getting angry, breaking or giving advice, he has suggested some exercises and decided on these exercises together. If he showed you some techniques and gave you some homework, it means you went to a psychologist, not a psychiatrist. Psychologists are graduates of the "Psychology Department" in the science and literature faculty of universities. If a person graduates from the psychology department, he or she is a psychologist. This is important information to keep in mind. As a result, psychologists practice psychotherapy and psychotherapy, while psychiatrists prescribe medications. Psychologists do not and cannot prescribe medication. s. Psychologists do not have the authority to prescribe medication.
Psychotherapy Method
As mentioned above, psychotherapy is the leading and perhaps the most effective method of anxiety disorder treatment methods; It is a long-term treatment method. Psychotherapy is a highly effective treatment for learning ways to understand and manage your anxiety disorder. Since the effect of this therapy method is widely observed and proven, it deserves the first place in preference. Therefore, if you are reading this article, it would be beneficial to try the psychotherapy method first. With this treatment method used in the treatment of anxiety disorder, you can witness and realize how your thoughts affect your emotions and your emotions affect your behavior. The professional group that performs this treatment method is "psychologists". In this treatment method, the name of the person coming is definitely not "patient". The client has some problems and is having difficulty solving them on his own. Therefore, it naturally needs support. The name of the individual who needs psychotherapy is "client". The psychologist manages the treatment process together with the client. A once-a-week session is often recommended. Each session takes approximately one hour. Of course, the client may want to reduce this interval to a few times a week or once every ten days. They decide this interval together with their psychologist. The method to be used in the treatment of anxiety is determined based on questions such as the extent of the person's anxiety, whether it coexists with other disorders, and which behavioral patterns are active. The main purpose is to ensure that the patient reaches a maturity and a stage where he can manage his emotions and thoughts, as well as his behaviors, on his own. Consequently, the individual needs to redevelop his/her coping skills with stress, defense mechanisms, and methods he/she has learned since childhood, and understand and ultimately perhaps internalize the thought patterns that lie behind his/her own behavior. In this therapy method, the person's ability to cope with stress is evaluated. Some practices are carried out to change the inappropriate defense mechanisms that the person used but were not successful in, and to change the schemas, that is, thought patterns, that create anxiety, anxiety and fear in the person.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Method
Cognitive behavioral therapy method is also a type of psychotherapy. It is a shorter therapy and treatment method than psychotherapy. The common point with the psychotherapy method is that the name of the individual in both of them is "client". Another common point between the cognitive behavioral method and the psychotherapy method is this; The person who applies this therapy method is a "psychologist". In the cognitive behavioral method, as in the psychotherapy method, the process proceeds in the form of sessions and the psychologist and the client manage this process together. Each session takes approximately one hour. This method is essentially one of the evidence-based treatments. It is a method that aims to make the individual aware of the underlying beliefs and thought patterns, that is, thoughts, of the mental disorders that have become the individual's main complaint. It is goal oriented. It enables the person to develop new behaviors and prepare himself/herself against situations that may be a source of anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy method; It allows you to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. After 5-6 sessions, clients can now control their anxiety. It is a method that aims to provide clients with the ability to manage their emotions. At the same time, it makes sure that these management skills can be applied by the clients. It is a method that involves changing negative and irrational (unreal) thought patterns and replacing them with new thought patterns. It also appears as a helpful method in areas such as preventing or preventing panic attacks. As a result,this type of psychotherapy guides you on how to transform negative thoughts and behaviors that cause you panic into a positive form. An effective treatment in which you will learn how to approach and manage situations that cause you fear and anxiety without worry.
Drug therapy
The person who applies this treatment method is a doctor and since his field of expertise is psychiatry, they are called "psychiatrist". Your psychiatrist may use various depression medications (antidepressants), anxiolytic drugs, and sedatives to relieve anxiety symptoms. The effects of these medications prescribed by your psychiatrist will only wear off within a week or two, and they should not be expected before that. The main goal of medication use is short-term relief by relieving anxiety symptoms; long-term use is not intended. The intensity of the patient's anxiety helps determine the dose of the drug. Of course, these medications must be prescribed by your psychiatrist, and if you want to stop taking your medication, be sure to consult your psychiatrist and try to quit under his/her control. It would be a good idea to meet with your psychiatrist to decide which drug is best and discuss its pros and cons. The same anxiety treatment is not applied to every patient. A medicine that is good for one patient may not be good for another.
Other Treatment Methods
In addition to these; Long-term confrontation therapy (also known as exposure) appears to be a very effective method, especially in post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias. Again, the treatment based on the control of eye movements, called EMDR, is actually similar to exposure therapy. Both of these methods aim to help clients reduce the pressure of these memories on individuals' emotional states by enabling them to view their traumatic memories from a new perspective. Considering the differences from client to client, these two methods can be said to take a long time.
Helping clients manage stress is another treatment method. In this sense, precautions can be taken for the client through methods such as relaxation techniques and breathing exercises, relaxation exercises, behavioral changes or socialization. Here, breathing exercise in particular appears to be a very effective method.
Treatment Duration
It is worth noting this. Whichever method you use The treatment process and duration vary depending on the severity of the anxiety. But do not neglect or postpone your support. As you postpone your treatment, your anxiety goes deeper, and this will definitely affect both the treatment period and your mental and physical health.
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