Anxiety Online

The basis of The Linden Method is that anxiety disorder and panic attacks ARE NOT mental illnesses, (they are behavioural conditions), they’re caused by a tiny change in the way the brain handles anxiety signals from the sensory organs.

The ‘anxiety switch’, (the Amygdala), is either ‘anxiety ON’ or ‘anxiety OFF’; when the switch is anxiety off it can be activated only by real danger, when it becomes ‘stuck on’ it can produce anxiety disorder symptoms, panic attacks, OCD, PTSD and phobias.

To stop the anxiety cycle in our body, we have to “communicate” to the Amygdala in a way that it will response to, redressing or rebalancing the inappropriate fear responses we have learnt.

Charles Linden’s method involves a technique that connect directly with the Amygdala which reacts to the ‘emotion’ through what is being said to you. It takes you back to your ‘normal’, genetically predetermined anxiety levels from the inappropriate level that you have learnt. It uses a way of delivering certain messages that can access to the emotional centre of your brain and stopped the physical process of anxiety.

Click to find out more about The Linden Method
The Author

Charles Linden runs a private practice specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders and panic attacks with centres located in Florida and London. He is a member of The National Mental Health Association and he writes for International health magazines and newspapers including Women’s Health, Top Sante, Yoga Magazine, Woman, Healthy Magazine, The Express, Woman’s Own and many more as their in-house anxiety disorder and panic attacks expert. He publishes audio and video anxiety / panic attacks elimination material on International release with media present in libraries, anxiety and panic attacks management groups, community groups, clinics and surgeries.

Click for his method on eliminating panic attacks, anxiety disorders, OCD, PTSD & phobias Quickly, Permanently and Drug Free.

Psychotherapy involves talking with a trained mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, or counselor to learn how to deal with problems like anxiety disorders.

Cognitive-Behavioral and Behavioral Therapy

Research has shown that a form of psychotherapy that is effective for several anxiety disorders, particularly panic disorder and social phobia, is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). It has two components. The cognitive component helps people change thinking patterns that keep them from overcoming their fears. For example, a person with panic disorder might be helped to see that his or her panic attacks are not really heart attacks as previously feared; the tendency to put the worst possible interpretation on physical symptoms can be overcome. Similarly, a person with social phobia might be helped to overcome the belief that others are continually watching and harshly judging him or her.

The behavioral component of CBT seeks to change people’s reactions to anxiety-provoking situations. A key element of this component is exposure, in which people confront the things they fear. An example would be a treatment approach called exposure and response prevention for people with OCD. If the person has a fear of dirt and germs, the therapist may encourage them to dirty their hands, then go a certain period of time without washing. The therapist helps the patient to cope with the resultant anxiety. Eventually, after this exercise has been repeated a number of times, anxiety will diminish. In another sort of exposure exercise, a person with social phobia may be encouraged to spend time in feared social situations without giving in to the temptation to flee. In some cases the individual with social phobia will be asked to deliberately make what appear to be slight social blunders and observe other people’s reactions; if they are not as harsh as expected, the person’s social anxiety may begin to fade. For a person with PTSD, exposure might consist of recalling the traumatic event in detail, as if in slow motion, and in effect re-experiencing it in a safe situation. If this is done carefully, with support from the therapist, it may be possible to defuse the anxiety associated with the memories. Another behavioral technique is to teach the patient deep breathing as an aid to relaxation and anxiety management.

Behavioral therapy alone, without a strong cognitive component, has long been used effectively to treat specific phobias. Here also, therapy involves exposure. The person is gradually exposed to the object or situation that is feared. At first, the exposure may be only through pictures or audiotapes. Later, if possible, the person actually confronts the feared object or situation. Often the therapist will accompany him or her to provide support and guidance.

If you undergo CBT or behavioral therapy, exposure will be carried out only when you are ready; it will be done gradually and only with your permission. You will work with the therapist to determine how much you can handle and at what pace you can proceed.

A major aim of CBT and behavioral therapy is to reduce anxiety by eliminating beliefs or behaviors that help to maintain the anxiety disorder. For example, avoidance of a feared object or situation prevents a person from learning that it is harmless. Similarly, performance of compulsive rituals in OCD gives some relief from anxiety and prevents the person from testing rational thoughts about danger, contamination, etc.

To be effective, CBT or behavioral therapy must be directed at the person’s specific anxieties. An approach that is effective for a person with a specific phobia about dogs is not going to help a person with OCD who has intrusive thoughts of harming loved ones. Even for a single disorder, such as OCD, it is necessary to tailor the therapy to the person’s particular concerns. CBT and behavioral therapy have no adverse side effects other than the temporary discomfort of increased anxiety, but the therapist must be well trained in the techniques of the treatment in order for it to work as desired. During treatment, the therapist probably will assign “homework”—specific problems that the patient will need to work on between sessions.

CBT or behavioral therapy generally lasts about 12 weeks. It may be conducted in a group, provided the people in the group have sufficiently similar problems. Group therapy is particularly effective for people with social phobia. There is some evidence that, after treatment is terminated, the beneficial effects of CBT last longer than those of medications for people with panic disorder; the same may be true for OCD, PTSD, and social phobia.

Medication may be combined with psychotherapy as one of the approach to treatment. As stated earlier, it is important to give any treatment a fair trial. And if one approach doesn’t work, the odds are that another one will, so don’t give up.

If you have recovered from an anxiety disorder, and at a later date it recurs, don’t consider yourself a “treatment failure.” Recurrences can be treated effectively, just like an initial episode. In fact, the skills you learned in dealing with the initial episode can be helpful in coping with a setback.

Source: NIMH (edited version)

Effective treatments for each of the anxiety disorders have been developed through research. In general, two types of treatment are available for an anxiety disorder— specific types of psychotherapy (sometimes called “talk therapy”) and arguably, medication. Both approaches can be effective for most disorders. (Psychotherapy is generally accepted as a treatment to improve the conditions of anxiety disorder. However, the opinions on whether medications are effective for the treatment of anxiety disorder are widely divided. What generally agreed is that medications give temporary relief.) The choice of one or the other, or both, depends on the patient’s and the doctor’s preference, and also on the particular anxiety disorder. For example, only psychotherapy has been found effective for specific phobias. When choosing a therapist, you should find out whether medications will be available if needed.

Before treatment can begin, the doctor must conduct a careful diagnostic evaluation to determine whether your symptoms are due to an anxiety disorder, which anxiety disorder(s) you may have, and what coexisting conditions may be present. Anxiety disorders are not all treated the same, and it is important to determine the specific problem before embarking on a course of treatment. Sometimes alcoholism or some other coexisting condition will have such an impact that it is necessary to treat it at the same time or before treating the anxiety disorder.

If you have been treated previously for an anxiety disorder, be prepared to tell the doctor what treatment you tried. If you had psychotherapy, what kind was it, and how often did you attend sessions? It often happens that people believe they have “failed” at treatment, or that the treatment has failed them, when in fact it was never given an adequate trial.

When you undergo treatment for an anxiety disorder, you and your doctor or therapist will be working together as a team. Together, you will attempt to find the approach that is best for you. If one treatment doesn’t work, the odds are good that another one will. And new treatments are continually being developed through research. So don’t give up hope.

Psychotherapy
Medication

Source: NIMH (edited version)

NIMH supports research into the causes, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of anxiety disorders and other mental illnesses. Studies examine the genetic and environmental risks for major anxiety disorders, their course—both alone and when they occur along with other diseases such as depression—and their treatment. The ultimate goal is to be able to cure, and perhaps even to prevent, anxiety disorders.

NIMH is harnessing the most sophisticated scientific tools available to determine the causes of anxiety disorders. Like heart disease and diabetes, these brain disorders are complex and probably result from a combination of genetic, behavioral, developmental, and other factors.

Several parts of the brain are key actors in a highly dynamic interplay that gives rise to fear and anxiety. Using brain imaging technologies and neurochemical techniques, scientists are finding that a network of interacting structures is responsible for these emotions. Much research centers on the amygdala, an almond-shaped structure deep within the brain. The amygdala is believed to serve as a communications hub between the parts of the brain that process incoming sensory signals and the parts that interpret them. It can signal that a threat is present, and trigger a fear response or anxiety. It appears that emotional memories stored in the central part of the amygdala may play a role in disorders involving very distinct fears, like phobias, while different parts may be involved in other forms of anxiety.

Other research focuses on the hippocampus, another brain structure that is responsible for processing threatening or traumatic stimuli. The hippocampus plays a key role in the brain by helping to encode information into memories. Studies have shown that the hippocampus appears to be smaller in people who have undergone severe stress because of child abuse or military combat.15,16 This reduced size could help explain why individuals with PTSD have flashbacks, deficits in explicit memory, and fragmented memory for details of the traumatic event.

Also, research indicates that other brain parts called the basal ganglia and striatum are involved in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

By learning more about brain circuitry involved in fear and anxiety, scientists may be able to devise new and more specific treatments for anxiety disorders. For example, it someday may be possible to increase the influence of the thinking parts of the brain on the amygdala, thus placing the fear and anxiety response under conscious control. In addition, with new findings about neurogenesis (birth of new brain cells) throughout life,18 perhaps a method will be found to stimulate growth of new neurons in the hippocampus in people with PTSD.

NIMH-supported studies of twins and families suggest that genes play a role in the origin of anxiety disorders. But heredity alone can’t explain what goes awry. Experience also plays a part. In PTSD, for example, trauma triggers the anxiety disorder; but genetic factors may explain why only certain individuals exposed to similar traumatic events develop full-blown PTSD. Researchers are attempting to learn how genetics and experience interact in each of the anxiety disorders—information they hope will yield clues to prevention and treatment.

Scientists supported by NIMH are also conducting clinical trials to find the most effective ways of treating anxiety disorders. For example, one trial is examining how well medication and behavioral therapies work together and separately in the treatment of OCD. Another trial is assessing the safety and efficacy of medication treatments for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents with co-occurring attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

For more information about these and other clinical trials, visit the NIMH clinical trials web page, www.nimh.nih.gov/studies/index.cfm, or the National Library of Medicine’s clinical trials database, www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Source: NIMH (edited version)

Anxiety disorders are behavioural conditions that affect approximately 19 million American adults. These disorders fill people’s lives with overwhelming anxiety and fear. Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event such as a business presentation or a first date, anxiety disorders are chronic, relentless, and can grow progressively worse if not treated.

Effective treatments for anxiety disorders are available, and research is yielding new, improved therapies that can help most people with anxiety disorders lead productive, fulfilling lives. If you think you have an anxiety disorder, you should seek information and treatment.
This article will

– help you identify the symptoms of anxiety disorders,
– explain the role of research in understanding the causes of these conditions,
– describe effective treatments,
– help you learn how to obtain treatment and work with a doctor or therapist, and
– suggest ways to make treatment more effective.

The anxiety disorders discussed in this article are

– panic disorder,
– obsessive-compulsive disorder,
– post-traumatic stress disorder,
– social phobia (or social anxiety disorder),
– specific phobias, and
– generalized anxiety disorder.

Each anxiety disorder has its own distinct features, but they are all bound together by the common theme of excessive, irrational fear and dread.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) supports scientific investigation into the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of anxiety disorders. The NIMH mission is to reduce the burden of anxiety disorder through research on mind, brain, and behavior. NIMH is a component of the National Institutes of Health, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Source: NIMH (edited version)

If you, or someone you know, has symptoms of anxiety, a visit to the family physician is usually the best place to start. A physician can help you determine if the symptoms are due to an anxiety disorder, some other medical condition, or both. Most often, the next step to getting treatment for an anxiety disorder is referral to a mental health professional.

Among the professionals who can help are psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and counselors. However, it’s best to look for a professional who has specialized training in cognitive-behavioral or behavioral therapy and who is careful, though open, to the use of medications, should they be needed.

Psychologists, social workers, and counselors sometimes work closely with a psychiatrist or other physician, who will prescribe medications when they are required. For some people, group therapy or self-help groups are a helpful part of treatment. Many people do best with a combination of these therapies.

When you’re looking for a health care professional, it’s important to inquire about what kinds of therapy he or she generally uses or whether medications are available. It’s important that you feel comfortable with the therapy. If this is not the case, seek help elsewhere. However, if you’ve been taking medication, it’s important not to quit certain drugs abruptly, but to taper them off under the supervision of your physician. Be sure to ask your physician about how to stop a medication.

Remember, though, that when you find a health care professional you’re satisfied with, the two of you are working as a team. Together you will be able to develop a plan to treat your anxiety disorder that may involve behavioral therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, or medications, as appropriate. Treatments for anxiety disorders, however, may not start working instantly. Your doctor or therapist may ask you to follow a specific treatment plan for several weeks to determine whether it’s working.

NIMH continues its search for new and better treatments for people with anxiety disorders. The Institute supports a sizeable and multifaceted research program on anxiety disorders–their causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. This research involves studies of anxiety disorders in human subjects and investigations of the biological basis for anxiety and related phenomena in animals. It is part of a massive effort to overcome the major mental disorders, an effort that is taking place during the 1990s, which Congress has designated the Decade of the Brain.

Back to Anxiety Disorders

Source: NIMH (edited version), Author: Marilyn Dickey

Acknowledgments

This article was written by Marilyn Dickey, a freelance writer in Washington, DC. Scientific information and review was provided by NIMH staff members Hagop Akiskal, M.D.; Jack Maser, Ph.D.; Barry Wolfe, Ph.D.; and Susan Solomon, Ph.D. Also providing review and assistance were Jim Broatch, M.S.W., OC Foundation; Stephen Cox, M.D., National Anxiety Foundation; Jack Gorman, M.D., Columbia University; Alec Pollard, Ph.D., St. Louis University; Jerilyn Ross, M.A., L.I.C.S.W., Anxiety Disorders Association of America; and Sally Winston, Psy.D., Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland. Editorial direction was provided by Lynn J. Cave, NIMH.

All material in this publication is free of copyright restrictions and may be copied, reproduced, or duplicated without permission of the Institute; citation of the source is appreciated.

National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Mental Health
NIH Publication No. 97-3879
Printed 1994, Reprinted 1995, 1997

Everybody knows what it’s like to feel anxious–the butterflies in your stomach before a first date, the tension you feel when your boss is angry, the way your heart pounds if you’re in danger. Anxiety rouses you to action. It gears you up to face a threatening situation. It makes you study harder for that exam, and keeps you on your toes when you’re making a speech. In general, it helps you cope.

But if you have an anxiety disorder, this normally helpful emotion can do just the opposite–it can keep you from coping and can disrupt your daily life. There are several types of anxiety disorders, each with its own distinct features.

An anxiety disorder may make you feel anxious most of the time, without any apparent reason. Or the anxious feelings may be so uncomfortable that to avoid them you may stop some everyday activities. Or you may have occasional bouts of anxiety so intense they terrify and immobilize you.

Anxiety disorders are the most common of all the mental disorders. At the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the Federal agency that conducts and supports research related to mental disorders, mental health, and the brain, scientists are learning more and more about the nature of anxiety disorders, their causes, and how to alleviate them. NIMH also conducts educational outreach activities about anxiety disorders and other mental disorder.

Many people misunderstand these disorders and think individuals should be able to overcome the symptoms by sheer willpower. Wishing the symptoms away does not work–but there are treatments that can help. That’s why NIMH has produced this article–to help you understand these conditions, describe their treatments, and explain the role of research in conquering anxiety and other mental disorders.

This article gives brief explanations of generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder (which is sometimes accompanied by agoraphobia), specific phobias, social phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. More detailed information on some of these anxiety disorders is available through NIMH or other sources.

Source: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Author: Marilyn Dickey