Treatment and Medicines Psychotherapy therapy conducted principally through talking rather than medicines may be carried out by a doctor or a trained psychotherapist. There are many varieties of psychotherapy, some of which are particularly suited to certain kinds of anxiety. For example, exploratory psychotherapy may be used to evaluate the various factors contributing to free-floating anxiety and, by bringing them to light, help resolve any underlying conflicts. Behavioural psychotherapy , on the other hand, is used successfully in situational anxieties in order to change directly the way in which somebody responds to their feared situation. It may feature desensitisation , whereby someone is gradually exposed more and more to the feared situation but in the controlled environment and reassuring presence of the therapist.
Relaxation training is often a very important part of, or supplement to psychotherapy.
When anxiety is a manifestation of depressive illness, the treatment of depression with antidepressants also relieves the anxiety. However, they should not be taken for longer periods as they have long-term side effects. Another group of drugs known as beta-blocker drugs relieve many of the physical symptoms of anxiety and may be helpful for some people. Complementary therapy Relaxation training is often a feature of psychotherapy. Similarly, you may find any relaxation therapy, such as yoga or Alexander technique useful.