Facts Relating To Anxiety Therapy Toronto Residents Need To Know

By Daphne Bowen


Getting anxious is an emotion most people experience from time to time when faced with dangerous stimuli. Situations that may elicit this reaction include sitting examinations, attending job interviews, going for a first date and so on. In some people, this response is too extreme and may be present even for what would be regarded as harmless situations. This type of response is abnormal and requires therapy. There are several important aspects of anxiety therapy Toronto residents need to understand.

The disorder is diagnosed when affected persons show excessive assessment of danger in their environment. As a result they tend to either not react at all or they react with an excessively protective response. There is accompanying impairment in the performance of normal duties. Put in other words, persons with anxiety disorder exhibit abnormal responses to normal situations as opposed to other people who respond normally to abnormal situations.

Different subtypes of the disorder exist. They include, among others, panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorders, specific phobias, agoraphobia and social phobias. There are a few differences in the manner of presentation as well as in the treatments that are used. Patients with generalized anxiety disorder, GAD, become anxious about a wide range of events most of which are unknown to the patients.

GAD often coexists with other disorders such as depression and other subtypes of anxiety. It has been associated with alcoholism and suicidal tendencies. Patients will have nonspecific symptoms that include insomnia, generalized fatigue and chronic pain. The symptoms are typically intermittent and patients often relapse even after cure has been achieved. Psychodynamic psychotherapy is one of the commonly used forms of treatment. Others include systemic desensitization, hypnosis, relaxation therapy and pharmacotherapy.

Social phobia is characterized by intense and persistent fear that is associated with a desire to flee from the responsible object or event. There is a particular fear to suffer public embarrassment from impulsive acts. The symptoms are severe enough to interfere with normal functioning and interpersonal relationships. Social phobia is the most prevalent of all the types of phobia. About 8% of the general population have some form of this disorder.

Specific phobias are fears of specific objects or situations. These include animals, insects, heights of buildings and dental procedures among others. Simple phobias do not always impair normal functioning and many people with this problem lead near normal lives. The most important thing is to avoid the phobic situation. The onset is in the years of early childhood. Treatments for this therapy include pharmacotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy.

It is important that proper investigations are done. This is because there may be medical conditions that are presenting with these symptoms. This means that one has to undergo a physical and have some tests done. Imaging studies using the CT scan and MRI are some of the most sensitive investigative modalities.

When seeking the treatment for anxiety disorder, you need to understand there are several subtypes that exist all with varying treatments. Proper classification is the first step to finding the most effective form of management to be employed. The therapy will typically be administered by mental health experts such as psychiatrist and psychologists.




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