Treatment

Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
(CBT)

solution-oriented
directive
educative
skills-based
here-and-now oriented
highly effective

Cognitive-behavior therapy, often in combination with appropriate pharmacological treatment, is found to be the most effective treatment for the anxiety disorders.  However, check out these other treatment options, which may prove useful for anxiety sufferers.  These alternative modalities do not purport to directly treat anxiety disorders; however, they may be useful in helping patients better manage pain, tension and other physiological correlates of anxiety.

Cognitive Therapy:

Basic Premise:     Anxiety is caused NOT by the stressors or circumstances in a person's life but rather by the way in which the individual perceives, interprets and evaluates these stressors.
 
 

In other words, as the famous philosopher, Epictetus, illustrates:
 

"People are disturbed not by things, but rather by the ways they think of them."

Therefore:

• tests don't cause anxiety
• rejection doesn't cause depression
• traffic doesn't cause frustration
• sticks and stones can break your bones but names cannot hurt you
•  

• ---

• I believe it was Eleanor Roosevelt who is credited with saying:
• "No one can make you feel badly (about yourself) without your permission."

• ---

• The point is that it our thinking that disturbs us.  Its how we think about ourselves, our pasts and our futures that disturbs us.  If you put pressure on yourself to pass a test or think that you will never pass, then you are prone to anxiety.  If, however, you think of the test more rationally, thinking that it would be great if you did well but that it is not imperative that you do, and that it wouldn't be catastrophic if you didn't do well, then you wouldn't feel so much anxiety.  Some anxiety would be normal and appropriate.  However, the degree to which you feel anxiety depends upon your outlook (thinking).

• ---

• Anxiety is determined by Your:
•                     Perceptions                                                 Yourself
•                     Interpretations                 about                      Your future
•                     Evaluations                                                       Your past or future
•  

• ---