Problems associated with phobic and panic disorders
Many serious problems are associated with phobic and panic disorders. These include depression and abuse of drugs and alcohol.
The first step is a complete physical examination to rule out any purely physical causes that might be responsible for symptoms. Once it is clear that these are not present, specific treatment for the anxiety disorder can be pursued.
Appropriate treatment can literally open the world to someone whose life has been limited by phobic and panic disorders.
Despite the lack of detailed knowledge about causes, effective treatment modes for these disorders are now widely available. Principal among these are cognitive or behavioral therapy and medication, often used together.
The behavioral component of cognitive/behavioral therapy (also called exposure therapy, desensitization or contextual therapy) is based on the assumption that phobic anxiety persists and may grow more intense when the person repeatedly avoids the feared situation.
Behavioral therapy involves exposure to feared situations in the company of a therapist or other supportive person or occasionally alone, in gradual, preplanned steps. As exposure proceeds, the individual becomes able to tolerate more and more of the fearful stimulus without having to leave.
The cognitive component teaches the phobic person to identify erroneous beliefs, attitudes and perceptions that negatively affect thinking, behavior and physical reactions.
The assumptions underlying these techniques are that what is learned – in this case, the negative thought patterns – can be unlearned and that anxiety itself may be triggered or intensified by such thoughts.
Recognizing these patterns, the phobic person can work on re-examining and refuting them and replacing them with useful coping strategies.
