If there is a mental disorder that, today, is considerably widespread, it is anxiety. Due to the stressful and hectic society we live in, and due to the current working conditions, it is not surprising that more and more people are suffering from anxiety . Unfortunately, it is something that is spreading to academia; the number of students who attribute anxiety problems derived from the educational system increases daily.

The solution that some specialists, especially psychiatrists (since they are the mental care specialists who are in charge of the most chemical aspects ), give to anxiety is usually a medical treatment. That is, anxiolytics. And while it is true that these anxiolytics can be recommended in many cases, there are others in which it is better to try to do without them in order to avoid their possible side effects.

Anxiolytics have two fundamental associated problems. The first of these is that they can become addicting if used long-term and, in addition, they can stop working effectively in the body. And the second of them (the one that worries many professionals the most) is that it can end up covering the true origins of anxiety, masking them and making them go unnoticed. If the patient associates the end of all his problems with anxiolytics, he may believe that this is enough, when nothing could be further from the truth ; To treat anxiety, you must follow psychological therapy with a professional . The use of anxiolytics should be restricted to when really necessary, and always prescribed by a psychiatrist.

It is essential to identify the causes

The best treatment for anxiety will always be to go to therapy with a psychologist and, in this way, identify what are the real causes of the disorder. If you’ve been diagnosed with anxiety, whether it’s anxiety attacks or generalized anxiety, there must always be a reason , a trigger. If the trigger is not known, it is impossible that this anxiety can be eliminated; it won’t even be able to be treated properly.

Knowing the anxiety trigger is not easy , and it can take a long time in therapy, even years. But once it has been discovered, and once the entire process has been followed, it will be much easier to prevent the disorder from reappearing.

What is usually recommended when treating anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy. This therapy focuses on making the patient understand his thoughts, everything that surrounds him, and be able to focus on it in the best possible way. If a person has anxiety attacks every time they have to face a public situation , for example, they need to understand where this anxiety is coming from and how it could be solved. Cognitive behavioral therapy is considered the best possible treatment.

There are psychologists who also tend to try exposure therapy, but this should always be treated with care. Because it implies exposing the person to those things that make them feel anxious so that they see that nothing is happening, that all their fears are much greater than what will actually happen at that moment.

Relaxation techniques: a good help

Without forgetting that therapy is essential, and that without it there will be no possible recovery, it is also important to know that there are relaxation techniques that can serve as a kind of natural remedy to reduce anxiety. The most functional are controlled breathing, visualization, and progressive muscle relaxation. They all have in common that the person will be forced to focus on internal aspects, and they will have to stop thinking about absolutely all their problems and everything that causes anxiety. It teaches them to control the physical reaction of anxiety so that, when it appears, we know how to stop it and help us face adverse situations with more force.

However, these techniques are not a treatment in themselves , but are a kind of technique within therapy. To really treat anxiety, it is very important to see a psychiatrist or psychologist.