You are trying to get around in a crowded room. The sound of the voices all seem to blur together, amplified. Sweat begins to fall from your brow and you heart is racing. You cannot get out of there soon enough. Once removed from that scenario you are no longer sweating, your heart slows back to a normal place. This is what anxiety feels like for some people. Anxiety disorders have become very common in society. Anxiety is a state of mood that can have characterizations of worry, apprehension, and fear. It can begin in early childhood and become more problematic throughout adulthood. Varieties of anxiety disorders can also be associated with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Panic Disorder, as well as Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Seeking treatment is often a difficult decision. There are many options and treatment plans that have been proven to be quite effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders.
Many Americans are diagnosed with some form of anxiety disorder. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is described as a chronic condition which leads to significant impairment in the everyday life of its sufferers and has a low probability of spontaneous recovery. Studies have been done to try and find what treatments are beneficial to people living with some form of anxiety disorder (Westin et al., 2011, p. 01) As complex as we are as human beings there is not one way to treat anxiety. It takes patience and time to find a plan that works for one specific individual. Cognitive behavior therapy is the basis of most treatment plans for anxiety disorders. Acceptance and commitment therapy has been developed from cognitive behavior therapy. It has found to be more successful to have acceptance along with cognitive behavior therapy because it try to stress that there is flexibility psychologically (Westin et al., 2011, p. 02).
This means that instead of focusing on avoiding experiences that could trigger these kinds of anxiety it is better to focus on how to handle these feelings when the moment arises.
