How to Manage Anxiety Disorder with Lifestyle Modification?

Best Treatment Options for Mental Anxiety Disorder

Anxiety disorder is a mental health disorder that causes physical signs like sweating and a pounding heart, among others. Individuals with anxiety disorders often respond to situations and things with fear. Though mild anxiety disorders are not a matter of concern, if an individual faces severe anxiety issues, it is necessary to seek anxiety disorder treatment.

Doctors often check your symptoms and identify the type of disorder to decide the proper treatment method. Read on to understand the types of anxiety disorders and the effective treatment methods for anxiety management.

What are the Different Types of Anxiety Disorders?

It is necessary to identify the type of anxiety disorder one is going through to adopt the proper treatment method. The following are the different types of anxiety disorders:

1. Panic Disorder

This includes recurrent panic attack symptoms like shortness of breath, sweating, choking feeling, trembling, rapid heart rate or pounding of the heart, etc. These attacks occur suddenly without any previous warning.

Individuals who experience panic attacks become anxious about the next attack they may face and restrict or change several normal life activities.

2. Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Individuals suffering from generalized anxiety disorder will experience continuous anxious feelings or worry. Symptoms of this disorder include irritability, poor concentration, restlessness, sleeping disorders, muscle tension, and feeling on edge.

Such people are often concerned about health and financial problems and develop a general sense that something bad is going to happen.

3. Social Anxiety Disorder

In social anxiety disorder or social phobia, individuals are afraid to face social situations that may make them feel judged or embarrassed. Thus, individuals who have social phobia mostly feel nervous if they have to spend time in social settings or feel conscious and worried about rejection or offending other people.

Some common symptoms of this disorder include avoiding social meetups, being unable to make friends, feeling uncomfortable, nauseous, or sweaty while spending social time, worrying about attending a social event, etc.

4. Phobia

Intense fear of various objects like snakes, spiders, etc. or situations like flying in an aeroplane or sailing on water that feels intrusive or distressing is called a phobia.

5. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

This type of disorder generally develops if the individual goes through severe emotional or physical trauma due to an accident, natural disaster, or crime. In PTSD, individuals often get flashbacks of their past trauma, frightening thoughts, nightmares, etc., that interfere with their daily routine for several months or years after they have experienced trauma.

6. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder involves ongoing, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours (compulsions), like excessive hand washing due to germ fears or repeatedly checking work for mistakes. These actions are difficult to control and can interfere with daily life and routines.

How to Treat Mental Anxiety Disorder?

Like any other health issue, anxiety disorder treatment is also necessary to keep your mental health sound. Several developments have been made in the treatment of anxiety disorders over the decades to ensure proper care for every affected person.

Depending on the type of anxiety disorder you have, your healthcare provider will suggest any of the following treatment options:

1. Medications

Medicines cannot completely cure anxiety disorders, but they can improve your symptoms so that you can function better. Some of the medicines that doctors prescribe for mental health treatments are as follows:

• Benzodiazepines : These medicines work very fast and help reduce your panic, anxiety, and worry, but they are addictive. Therefore, doctors prescribe this medicine for the short term to avoid addiction to these drugs. Healthcare providers often prescribe benzodiazepines like lorazepam, alprazolam, diazepam, and clonazepam.
• Antidepressants Antidepressants, as their name suggests, are mainly used for depression treatment. However, this can also help in treating anxiety disorders. These medicines can reduce stress and improve mood by adjusting your brain's use of specific chemicals. However, they do not work as quickly as the benzodiazepines. Doctors mostly recommend SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and SNRIs (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) for anxiety disorder treatment. Additionally, there is a different option called tricyclic antidepressants, which may lead to excessive side effects.
• Beta-blockers : Doctors recommend beta-blockers to reduce physical symptoms like shaking, rapid heartbeat, trembling, etc., related to anxiety. However, these medicines cannot treat any psychological issues related to anxiety disorders.

The healthcare provider will analyze your mental health and suggest medicines and dosages accordingly. You should follow the doctor's recommendations and avoid changing dosage or medicines.

2. Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy or talk therapy includes various treatment techniques to help you understand and change your unhealthy thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. These are anxiety management therapies carried out by your healthcare provider.

They will help you identify and manage anxiety through various effective strategies. Check them out below:

• Exposure Therapy : In this therapy, a safe environment is created by the mental health provider to expose the patient to their fears. A patient may be afraid of situations, things, or specific activities. In this therapy, doctors make you confront such fears to improve your capability to tackle them. This way, you can learn how to attach realistic things or beliefs to the things you are afraid of and become comfortable with the experience of fear.
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) : It is among the most common therapies for anxiety management. CBT helps patients identify and recognize their behavior and thought patterns that cause troublesome feelings. Your health provider will make you work on changing these reactions and thoughts to cope with the situations.

How to Manage Anxiety Disorder with Lifestyle Moderation?

Here are some of the lifestyle changes you can follow for anxiety management:

1. Dietary Changes

Many individuals discover that making specific dietary changes can help manage their anxiety. Here are some practical options to consider:

• Cutting Down on Caffeine : As per research, consuming large amounts of caffeine may raise the risk of anxiety. Since caffeine is a stimulant, it can make people feel jittery or on edge. Reducing caffeine intake, especially in the afternoon or evening, may help lower anxiety levels and improve sleep quality.
• Limiting Alcohol Consumption : While there is limited direct research on alcohol and anxiety, some people use alcohol to cope with stress. However, many notice their anxiety improves when they reduce or stop drinking. If you drink, consider tracking your alcohol consumption and noting any changes in anxiety symptoms.
• Keeping a Food Diary : Monitoring what you eat can help identify foods that might worsen anxiety. For example, a 2019 study found that diets high in saturated fats and added sugars were linked to greater anxiety in older adults. Although this doesn’t prove that these foods cause anxiety, it suggests that diet can influence mental health.

2. Stress Relief Techniques

Different stress relief methods can help reduce anxiety, depending on individual needs. Techniques include:

• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Deep breathing
• Spending time outdoors
• Disconnecting from technology
• Enjoying self-care activities like reading, listening to music, bathing, or being with pets.

3. Alternative Treatments

Some people find that alternative treatments like massage, acupuncture, or chiropractic care help their anxiety. While some studies suggest acupuncture may ease symptoms, there isn't enough substantial evidence to confirm that these therapies work. They are best used alongside standard medical treatments.

Anxiety can be effectively managed through lifestyle changes, therapy like CBT, exercise, dietary adjustments, and stress-relieving techniques. Support groups also help. Consulting a medical professional ensures personalized anxiety disorder treatment and guidance for the best approach to reduce anxiety symptoms.