If you need a second opinion for a particular reason, then get one. Let's suppose that you've had a good consultation with your physician, the appropriate tests have ruled out any physical ailments which could be causing your symptoms, and you want to get professional help for anxiety. Now you're ready for step three. Learn about the available treatments. Other forms of psychotherapy are often helpful in resolving some of the issues associated with anxiety disorders, but are generally not regarded as capable of resolving the primary problem.
Many sources recommend a combination of both medication and cognitive behavioral treatments.
However, it's unclear if they do this because it's really the best way, or because if they recommend only one method, the people who provide the other method will become very unhappy. In order to get effective help, you need to understand how our mental healthcare system works. And principally, what you need to know is that our mental healthcare system is divided between psychiatrists, most of whom provide medication treatments, and non-physician therapists such as psychologists and social workers, who provide a variety of treatments that don't rely on medication. What this means to the consumer is that your initial choice of what kind of professional to see will virtually decide what kind of treatment you are offered, at least initially. If you see a psychiatrist, the chance of being offered medication is very high, and if you see a psychologist or social worker, the chance of being offered the form of nonmedication treatment they most favor is very high.