– Too much anxiety: how to manage it?
Twice a month, a specialist from Geneva University Hospitals answers a public health question.
Lorraine Fasler associate physician, head of the Mood and Anxiety Unit, HUG
Posted today at 5:04 p.m.
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Do you feel excessive worry about everyday problems? Do you suffer from panic attacks or phobias? You may be living with an anxiety disorder. While stress and anxiety are common emotions, they can sometimes become so intense and overwhelming that they significantly affect the quality of life.
The terms “anxiety disorders” encompass several pathologies: generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, such as social phobia, panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). They usually begin before young adulthood, and many affected people suffer from multiple disorders in parallel.
Anxiety disorders cause various physical and psychological symptoms: invasive ruminations, excessive worry, sleep problems, panic attacks, back, head or stomach pain. Behavioral changes, including avoidance of anxiety-provoking situations, are also present.
With appropriate treatment, it is now possible to effectively treat anxiety disorders, while specifying that some vulnerability will always persist. The objective of medical or psychological care is to allow patients to manage their anxiety and live without too many obstacles on a daily basis.
If you think you suffer from anxiety disorders, talk to your doctor, who can refer you to a specialist. The University Hospitals of Geneva have a specialized program for these disorders. After a multidisciplinary assessment, you may be offered treatment combining psychoeducation, pharmacological treatment or cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy (CBT). The latter is often very effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders.
If you want to know more, check out the HUG website.
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