Anxiety disorders are chronic health conditions that can affect your quality of life. They can interfere with your ability to work and socially interact with others. If left untreated, anxiety can lead to other health issues. Symptoms can be serious, including heart disease and chest pain.
Although there is no cure for anxiety, there are effective treatments. One treatment option is cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT. This type of therapy helps patients identify negative thought patterns that may be contributing to their symptoms.
Another option is emotion-regulation therapy. It uses a variety of techniques to help improve a person’s self-image and ability to function.
Some people who suffer from anxiety use maladaptive coping behaviors such as substance abuse or anxious avoidance. These strategies may provide temporary relief, but they often result in a recurrence of the anxiety disorder over time.
The positive impact of CBT has been confirmed through recent studies. A comprehensive QOL assessment should be conducted to determine how well a treatment is affecting a patient’s life.
Among adults with anxiety, symptom severity has been shown to be inversely associated with QOL. Recent research has extended these findings to older adult patients.
In general, QOL has been a useful indicator of how a disorder affects daily functioning. Studies have shown that incorporating emotion regulation techniques into treatment can improve a person’s QOL.
During a panic attack, the body releases chemicals such as Adrenalin and cortisol. This chemical response is a normal part of our fight or flight reaction, but too much of this hormone can cause problems with your sleep.