Finding Calm: Options for Anxiety Treatment

Causes of Anxiety

People struggle with anxiety due to a combination of genetic, environmental, psychological, and other factors. Because we know that anxiety disorders can run in families, it’s likely that a combination of genes and environmental stresses lead to anxiety disorders.²

Research shows that anxiety and sensory sensitivity are related. People who are more sensitive to sensory input may have higher levels of anxiety than others. Each of us has our own breaking point of when our nervous system becomes overstimulated. When surroundings are too bright, too loud, or too intense in other ways, everyday environments can get overwhelming.

Sometimes, medical conditions produce anxiety.³ People with heart disease, diabetes, thyroid issues, respiratory disorders, chronic pain, or digestive issues often experience anxiety as a symptom.

Symptoms of Anxiety

Anxiety symptoms can develop in childhood or later in life, and it’s common for patients to have other mental health or medical diagnoses along with an anxiety disorder. It’s important to keep in mind that anxiety might look different across people and cultures.

Everyone’s experience is different, but there are some common comorbidities of anxiety disorders:

• depression (which often occurs with an anxiety disorder)
• other mental health disorders
• substance misuse
• trouble sleeping (insomnia)
• digestive issues
• headaches
• chronic pain
• social isolation
• difficulty functioning at school or work
• poor quality of life
• increased risk of suicide

Anxiety can also take the form of physical symptoms.⁴ These include fibromyalgia, nausea, heartburn, impaired motor activity, and impaired vision. Even when there’s not a medical diagnosis to explain these physical symptoms, they’re still important to notice. They may signal that your body is experiencing chronic anxiety.

The Impacts of Living With Anxiety

Anxiety often happens internally but it may also have a serious impact on your life.

Physical Health

Anxiety takes a toll on the body. Because they have high levels of cortisol and other stress hormones, people who are chronically anxious may have problems with heart disease,⁵ high blood pressure, and immune system deficiencies.

People with chronic anxiety sometimes experience chronic inflammation, like gut inflammation. Chronic anxiety can also shorten life expectancy.

Stigma

Public stigma toward people with anxiety disorders⁶ and other mental health diagnoses can take a toll on a person, and lead to self-stigma. These negative attitudes are often based on the misconception that anxiety happens because of personal weakness, instead of it being a legitimate condition that calls for support.

Quality of Life

Even if you don’t fit the criteria for an anxiety diagnosis, its symptoms can get in the way of leading the life you want. Anxiety can negatively impact quality of life,⁷ including work, social relationships, home, and family.

Isolation and Loneliness

Anxiety may be very distressing at times. As a result, you may begin to avoid situations that trigger anxiety.⁸ In some cases, this might be a useful response, but in others, it means missing out on the important events and relationships that make living worthwhile.

When your diagnosis impacts the rest of your life, it might be hard to imagine a way to heal. Remember that you deserve care. And fortunately, there are treatments available.

Anxiety and Substance Use Disorders

People with anxiety are uniquely vulnerable to substance misuse. For many, using a substance can temporarily lower their anxiety levels. But, anxiety is also a side effect of substance use. You may feel anxious when you stop using alcohol, anti-anxiety medications, or other substances, including caffeine.⁹

Dr. Rocco A. Iannucci, Psychiatrist and Director of Fernside at McLean Hospital, stresses the relationship between anxiety and substance misuse:

“We know from major studies in the community that as many as half of people who have an addiction also have another mental health issue, like depression or anxiety, and we also know that really the best practice is to address both problems at the same time. You could leave yourself in the situation of helping someone stop drinking, for example, and then they end up feeling terribly depressed if you don’t help them with that problem. That really leaves them vulnerable to a relapse.”

If you’re experiencing both anxiety symptoms and a substance use disorder (i.e. a co-occurring disorder), there are a number of rehab programs that may be right for you.

Treatments for Anxiety

Healing looks different for everyone. Fortunately, there are a good number of scientifically supported anxiety treatments.¹⁰

Two main goals of anxiety-focused interventions are: 1) to help your body regulate itself so that anxiety responses are less intense, and 2) to learn useful ways to acknowledge and move through anxiety when it shows up.

Medication

Many people use medication to manage anxiety.¹¹ Some of the most frequently used options include anti-anxiety drugs (such as benzodiazepines), antidepressants (including SSRIs and SNRIs), and beta-blockers.

For some people, medication may be an effective way to lessen the impact of anxiety attacks and other symptoms of chronic anxiety. Making this change at the physical level might also mean that other kinds of interventions start to feel feasible.

Psychotherapy

One intervention for anxiety is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).¹² With this approach, you’ll learn how your thoughts contribute to your anxiety struggles and how to change those thought patterns. You’ll also learn how to reduce anxious behaviors by experiencing different challenging situations. Most treatment programs for anxiety offer CBT. You can also get treatment at home through virtual therapy sessions.

In exposure therapy,¹³ a therapist creates a safe environment where you’re exposed to the things you fear and avoid. In sessions, you might be asked to interact directly with the feared situation. You also practice managing your anxiety while imagining the trigger, or interact with it using virtual reality. The goal is to decrease the intensity of anxious reactions and to show that you’re capable of navigating the situation.

Another therapy approach is dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).¹⁴ A DBT therapist supports you as you build skills for interpersonal effectiveness, tolerating distress, and regulating emotions. Sessions can be one-on-one or in small groups, with weekly homework assignments that help you apply what you’re learning to your everyday life.

Acceptance and commitment therapy¹⁴ (ACT) is an approach where the the focus is on changing the relationship you have with your anxiety so that you suffer less. By accepting that your feelings of anxiety when they come up, it becomes possible to find new and creative ways to navigate it and behave in ways that are in line with your values at the same time.

Physical Activity

Being physically active can lower anxiety.¹⁵ If you’re looking for ways to manage panic attacks and anxious feelings without medication, you could consider a focus on movement-based activities.

But physical activity doesn’t have to happen in a gym or on a yoga mat. Meaningful movement can look like gentle stretching, going for a walk or bike ride, or taking a short dance break in between other daily activities.

Breathwork Exercises

Mindfulness, meditation, or other kinds of breathing exercise are useful ways to regulate your nervous system, slow your heart rate, and connect to the present moment. But be sure to pay attention to whether it’s actually working for you. If an exercise is increasing feelings of panic and emotional distress, it may be more harmful than helpful. You could consider adjusting your mindfulness practice¹⁶ by taking more frequent breaks, spending a shorter amount of time on the exercise, or trying another type of exercise altogether.

Polyvagal Interventions

A Polyvagal Theory¹⁷ approach helps a patient regulate their nervous system. Some activities can be done solo, like humming or singing, drinking water, or using a weighted blanket.

Other activities are done with another person, like a therapist or loved one. For example, the Safe and Sound Protocol¹⁸ involves listening to music that’s been processed specifically to retune the nervous system. This creates a sense of safety and may make it easier to be social with others. Massage, hugs, and other types of physical closeness are other examples of co-regulation activities for lowering anxiety and creating a felt sense of safety and social connection.

When it comes to successfully navigating your anxiety, it’s important to focus on what you need in the moment and from your environment, rather than trying to change yourself in order to cope with overwhelm. Acknowledge your experience for what it is, and try to approach your anxiety with self-compassion.

Moving Beyond Worry

Living with anxiety can be challenging; it can create distress and make it hard to participate in meaningful parts of life. But it’s an extremely common mental health struggle, and there is hope. There are lots of interventions and helpful resources for managing anxiety.

Just like you, your healing process will be unique. You can explore what kinds of supports feel like the best fit as you learn to move through anxiety as it comes up. Make sure to find a treatment program that meets your specific needs.

To learn more about treatment for this condition, browse our list of rehabs specializing in anxiety disorder treatment.

Reviewed by Rajnandini Rathod

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