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Diagnosis and Treatment of Anxiety

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Diagnosis and Treatment of Anxiety
Everyone will experience fear at some point in their lifetime, and the person will usually know why they are afraid. The cause of the fear is identifiable and appropriate to the situation and will pass with time. However, in the case of anxiety disorders, the person either does not know why he or she is afraid or the level of anxiety is inappropriate to the situation. Anxiety disorders are detected when a person suffers from a disorder in which anxiety is a characteristic feature or the avoidance of anxiety seems to motivate abnormal behavior (Morris & Maisto, 2005). National surveys expose the fact that anxiety disorders are more common than any other form of mental disorder (Morris & Maisto, 2005). The main types of anxiety disorders are specific phobias, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (Morris & Maisto, 2005).
A very interesting form of anxiety disorder is obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder in which a person feels driven to think disturbing thoughts, perform senseless rituals, or a combination of both (Morris & Maisto, 2005). Obsessions are involuntary thoughts or ideas that continue to occur regardless if the person’s attempts to stop them (Morris & Maisto, 2005). Compulsions are repetitive, ritualistic behaviors that a person feels obligated to perform (Morris & Maisto, 2005). Obsessive thoughts are usually repulsive and terrifying in nature. Truly compulsive behaviors may be just as discouraging to the person who is driven to perform them. Behaviors frequently take the form of a washing or cleaning regime, as if the compulsive behavior resembles the person’s attempt to “wash away” the tainted thoughts (Morris & Maisto, 2005). Another typical form of compulsion is checking; repeatedly performing some kind of behavior to make sure that something was or was not done a certain way (Morris & Maisto, 2005). It is possible for anyone to experience mild obsessions or compulsions. Most have periodically had a song or the lyrics stuck in their head, but in OCD the obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors are of a more serious nature (Morris & Maisto, 2005). People who experience obsessions and compulsions generally do not seem obviously anxious (Morris & Maisto, 2005). Some would wonder why obsessive-compulsive disorder is considered an anxiety disorder. The reason it is categorized as anxiety is if such a person attempts to cease their irrational behavior, or if another attempts to stop the person, the individual will experience severe anxiety (Morris & Maisto, 2005). Thus, obsessive-compulsive behaviors are performed to avoid anxiety.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder and other forms of anxiety, such as panic attacks, phobias, and social anxiety, require cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT (April, 2011). Cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most effective and only proven form of treatment for anxiety reduction (April, 2011). Cognitive-behavioral therapy is focused on modifying destructive patterns of behavior and thought with a variety of strategies taught and assigned for practice (April, FAQs about The April Center, 2011). Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an interactive process between psychologist and client (April, FAQs about The April Center, 2011). Sometimes, it even involves trips outside of the office with the psychologist to face anxiety in real-life situation with new skills and strategies learned (April, FAQs about The April Center, 2011). One main cognitive-behavioral therapy principle is that if people change their behavior, their thinking can change and if they change the way they think, their behavior can change (April, FAQs about The April Center, 2011). First step, symptoms are assessed. Second step, strategies are taught in order to obtain skills in handling anxiety. Homework assignments are a common feature. The primary focus of treatment for anxiety is a cognitive-behavioral therapy strategy called exposure and response prevention, or ERP (April, FAQS about the April Center, 2011). Exposure and response prevention involves a person facing their fears and obsessions in a gradual, systematic manner minus avoidance with the goal of adapting or de-sensitizing the person to their anxiety provoking thought, image, impulse, or situation (April, FAQS about the April Center, 2011). Cognitive-behavioral therapy focused on the strategy of exposure and response prevention has been the proven form of obsessive-compulsive disorder treatment for many years (April, FAQS about the April Center, 2011). Many people with obsessive-compulsive disorder claim they have had years of psychodynamic therapy, often called “talk therapy”, without any progress (April, 2011). They are often amazed that sometimes within a few sessions of obsessive-compulsive disorder treatment with cognitive-behavioral therapy they are seeing quick progress after years and years of suffering (April, 2011).
April, D. C. (2011). FAQs about OCD. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from the April Center: http://www.kickfear.com/faqs/4-faqs-about-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/17-what-is-the-best-form-of-treatment-for-ocd.html April, D. C. (2011). FAQs about The April Center. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from The April Center: http://www.kickfear.com/faqs/1-about-the-april-center/26-what-is-cbt.html April, D. C. (2011). FAQS about the April Center. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from the April Center: http://www.kickfear.com/faqs/1-about-the-april-center/27-what-is-exposure-and-response-prevention-erp.html Morris, C. G., & Maisto, A. A. (2005). Psychology: An Introduction. Prentice-Hall.

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