NAME
|
GOAL
|
HOW IT WORKS
|
BENEFITS
|
DRAWBACKS
|
Behavior Therapy
|
Modify and gain control over unwanted behavior |
Learning to cope with difficult situations, often through controlled
exposure to them |
Person actively involved in recovery skills that are useful for a
lifetime |
Can take time to achieve results |
Cognitive Therapy |
Change unproductive thought patterns |
Examine feelings and learn to separate realistic from unrealistic thoughts |
Person actively involved in recovery skills that are useful for a
lifetime |
Can take time to achieve results |
Medication
|
Resolve symptoms |
Help restore chemical imbalances that lead to symptoms |
Effective for many people, enables other treatment to move forward |
Most medications have side effects |
Relaxation Techniques
|
Help resolve stresses that can contribute to anxiety |
Breathing re-training, exercise and other skills |
Person actively involved in recovery skills that are useful for a
lifetime |
Can take time to achieve results |
Treatment is successful in as many as
90 percent of anxiety disorder patients. Most people respond best to a combination of the four options
summarized in this table. More information about medication is available in another ADAA brochure, Anxiety Disorders and Medication.
|
This material was supported by an educational grant from SmithKline Beecham.
Anxiety Disorders Association of America
11900 Parklawn Drive, Suite 100
Rockville, MD 20852, USA