Obsessive-compulsive disorder, which causes people to feel trapped by senseless or distressing thoughts that lead them to repeat actions, like hand washing, multiple times in rapid succession. Generalized anxiety disorder, which is often described as a constant state of worry. Like Coats, many older adults suffer for years without knowing what is wrong with them, Wilson says. Only one-third seek treatment. Individual counseling and group therapy can help people understand anxiety disorders and the situations in which they occur.
Relaxation techniques can assist with coping.
Medications such as benzodiazepines are sometimes used, but the surgeon general's report states that they are more effective for acute episodes of anxiety in older adults than for the treatment of chronic anxiety. Coats participated in group therapy for two years and learned how to use exercise, self-help groups, and relaxation tapes to help him cope with his anxiety. I used to keep it all to myself and not talk about it. But now I find the more I talk about it and face my anxiety, the better I feel. All rights reserved.