Anxiety disorders are, along with mood disorders, the psychological problems that most affect people of all ages.
The discomfort caused by this phenomenon can take many forms and appear in very varied contexts, to the point where it can be said that each individual experiences anxiety in their own way.
However, despite the complexity of this type of psychological alterations, the science of psychology has managed to develop forms of intervention that allow these problems to be managed and overcome effectively. To better understand these resources, throughout this article we will see a summary about what anti-anxiety therapy is like
To understand the way in which psychologists help patients who come to our consultations with anxiety problems, First it is necessary to understand what exactly the latter consists of, the anxious phenomenon
We understand anxiety as a set of physiological, cognitive, emotional processes and patterns of interaction with the environment characterized by the appearance of a state of alert oriented towards the avoidance of situations that are feared, in response to the need to react quickly to any sign of danger or risk.
That is When we feel anxious, what happens in us has a lot to do with fear : sometimes it is fear of what we could lose if we do not move quickly when it is time, and sometimes the fear is based on the need not to miss an opportunity that, if not taken advantage of, would make us feel very bad. In most cases, both phenomena occur at the same time to a greater or lesser extent.
As anxiety predisposes us to react quickly, it is not in itself a bad thing; Therefore, anti-anxiety therapy is not something that all people should resort to at all times. In fact, it is part of the survival mechanisms that we have inherited from our ancestors, because natural selection has favored the existence of a certain degree of propensity to anxiety in individuals. However, Nothing in nature is perfect, and that is why on certain occasions, anxiety can give way to problems
For example, some people develop addictions due to an inadequate style of dealing with anxiety, others assume that the anxiety they feel is due to their low value as people, others develop phobias, etc. None of this is in itself an inevitable product of simply having the capacity to feel anxiety, but Sometimes, the combination of biological characteristics and personal experiences causes these types of psychological alterations to occur
What is psychotherapy against anxiety?
When anxiety becomes a significant problem that affects a person in one or all areas of a person’s life and damages their mental health, it is time to seek psychotherapy. These are the psychotherapeutic intervention resources most used in psychologists’ consultations when helping patients with anxiety discomfort.
1. Systematic desensitization
Systematic desensitization is one of the most used forms of intervention in anti-anxiety therapy. It is based on “training” patients to face those experiences that produce problematic levels of anxiety in combination with relaxation exercises that induce states incompatible with anxiety.
In this way, the link between what is feared, on the one hand, and the anxious reaction, on the other, is weakened.
Cognitive restructuring is based on Socratic dialogue, a type of dialogue with the therapist in which Those beliefs that the patient clings to and that at the same time keep the problem to be treated alive are questioned , in this case linked to anxiety. Examples of inadequate beliefs that reinforce the problem are ideas such as “I am destined for everyone to laugh at me”, “I will never be able to face that fear”, “I am unable to prevent everything from going wrong”, etc.
3. Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis can help alleviate anxiety problems, and is used in combination with other tools used in psychological intervention programs. It consists of a set of techniques based on the power of suggestion to help patients redirect their attentional focuses towards non-problematic aspects of what they feel.
4. Self-observation strategies
In psychotherapy, the person is also helped to detect the logic behind their anxiety problem, so that they are able to have a critical and informed perspective about what is happening to them, and do not assume that what they feel corresponds totally with reality. To achieve this, psychoeducation is carried out on the one hand, and a self-observation training plan on the other in which patients learn to detect thought patterns that maintain the anxiety problem during their daily lives.
5.Attention to derived psychological problems
In many cases, problematic anxiety does not come alone , but it occurs hand in hand with other harmful psychological alterations. For example, anxious-depressive symptoms are common. Given this, psychologists do not limit ourselves to treating only anxiety, even if this has been the only reason for consultation.
Are you interested in overcoming anxiety problems through psychotherapy?
As we have seen, anxiety in itself is not always a sufficient reason to need to go to a psychologist. However, there are not rare cases in which the situation gets out of control and the person suffering its effects feels that the situation is beyond them.
When faced with experiences of this type, it is important to have professional help; Not only because not doing so can be expensive, but also because, luckily, psychological therapy has effective resources to deal with this reality.
At the psychological assistance center Psychology For We have two decades of experience dedicating ourselves to offering professional help to people, and we currently serve both in our facilities in Madrid and through online therapy.
We have individual and couples psychotherapy services, child and adolescent therapy, sexology and psychiatry, so that we offer coverage in all aspects of mental health to adults, children and adolescents. You can see our contact details, as well as more information about how we work, on this page.
