For example, social anxiety can be lessened by success at work or in personal relationships. Our knowledge of how to treat anxiety disorders has progressed greatly over the past two decades. In general, both medications and specific forms of therapy are helpful. A number of these medications were first found useful for depression, but are now known to help anxiety disorders even if the affected persons are not depressed. Particular cognitive and behavioral therapy approaches also help most anxiety disorders, either in conjunction with medication or alone.
Education is the third leg of the therapeutic triad.
The more an affected person knows about his or her condition, the easier it is to overcome. Patient support groups are very useful both at imparting information and encouraging people to persist in seeking professional help. Anxiety disorders have a number of complications. The first is suffering and reduced functioning. In the extreme, this can lead to complete disability, in which an affected person can no longer go to school or hold a job.