How to deal with anxiety disorders so that activities are no longer hampered

Recognizing the symptoms of an anxiety disorder

Before concluding that you have an anxiety disorder, it's a good idea to identify the symptoms first.

Referring to the Guidelines for the Diagnosis of Mental Disorders in Indonesia III, a person is said to have an anxiety disorder if:

Difficulty concentrating
Always feeling restless
Headache
Shaky
Sweating
Heart palpitations
Gastric pain
Dry mouth

In anxiety disorders, this condition can last almost every day for several weeks to months. Symptoms can even appear at any time without any special triggers.

Various ways to deal with anxiety disorders

There are many ways to deal with anxiety disorders. You can take any medical to non-medical approaches. Not only that, anxiety disorders can also be overcome with a psychological approach.

So, which one is the best treatment for you? Of course this must be adjusted to the conditions of the anxiety disorder you are experiencing.

In mild conditions, non-medical treatment can be done. However, if it gets worse, your doctor will likely recommend that you take certain drugs.

Here are some options for dealing with anxiety disorders as reported by WebMD:

1. Medicines

For anxiety disorders that require medical treatment, doctors usually recommend that you take antidepressant drugs.

For example, escitalopram, fluoxetine and several types of drugs commonly used for epilepsy.

In addition, low-dose antipsychotic drugs can also be used to help treat anxiety disorders.

In addition, alprazolam and clonazepam are sometimes prescribed by doctors to reduce anxiety levels.

But keep in mind, make sure you consult your doctor before taking these drugs, especially antidepressants.

In some cases, among young people under 25 years of age, these drugs can increase the tendency to commit suicide. Therefore, the patients must be closely monitored.

Choosing the right drugs and the appropriate dosage is important in this case. Because there is a possibility that the doctor will try several drugs until they find the right one.

2. Therapy

There are two therapeutic options for dealing with anxiety disorders, namely:

Psychological therapy

Psychological therapy or psychotherapy is a way to deal with anxiety disorders through discussions with mental health experts.

Through this therapy, you will be invited to look for causes, triggers and how to deal with mental problems that you are experiencing.

Of course, the counselor's approach will be more personal and tailored to your needs.

For example, you always experience anxiety when you have to present at the office. In a therapy session, the therapist will look for solutions to overcome this problem.

It could be with better presentation preparation, breathing exercises or maybe with relaxation through music or meditation.

Behavioral Therapy

A therapeutic approach that you can take apart from psychological is behavioral therapy. Through this therapy, the counselor will help identify and change behavior patterns that can trigger anxiety disorders.

For example, you often experience anxiety disorders when you are on the Jabodetabek commuter line.

On the train, the rooms are narrow and crowded with passengers, making you sometimes feel dizzy, have congestion, and have difficulty breathing.

So, for the above cases, the therapist will help you to find a solution to the problem. It could be by means of relaxation or other things that might help you.

3. Join a sharing group

Source: Chasing The Cure Live

Sharing groups is one tool to help deal with anxiety disorders that may be effective for you.

In this group, they can tell each other about the problems they face and the various ways they have been overcome so far.

Most importantly, you will no longer feel alone because you are met with people with the same mental problems.

Usually there are experts accompanying to monitor. In big cities in Indonesia, there are currently a number of communities and sharing groups that you can visit.

There are meditation and psychiatric counseling places, there are also communities where people with other anxiety disorders can meet.

Group chat on the internet can also be a place to share. However, it should be noted, every suggestion that appears on the internet must be crosscheck again the truth with the doctor.