GP's view: Anxiety
BY Dr Cindy Pan medical expert
GP doctor Cindy Pan discuses anxiety and possible treatment options.
Anxiety disorders are common, with up to one in 10 Australians affected. While anxiety is a normal emotion, and mild to moderate levels can actually improve our ability to cope by making us more alert, focused and responsive, excessively high levels can be extremely debilitating.
The main types of anxiety disorder are generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder and specific phobias. Different approaches may be favoured depending on the type and severity of the disorder, but it is generally best to consider both psychological measures - counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), structured problem solving, slow breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and graded exposure - as well as medication.
GAD is the most common anxiety disorder. It involves worrying to an irrational degree about things that may go wrong and often occurs in people who are oversensitive. CBT is considered the treatment of choice as it teaches sufferers to systematically examine their thoughts and feelings and the behaviours that arise as a result.
While prescription medications such as benzodiazepines and antidepressants can help in the short term, there can be issues with side effects and dependence. In the long term, psychological therapy tends to be more effective and medication prescribed should be used in conjunction with ongoing therapy. Some GPs can teach you techniques to bring your anxiety under control or they may refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Read our fact sheet on anxiety.
For a naturopath's views on anxiety, check out A naturopath's approach to beating anxiety by naturopathy expert Leah Hechtman