People who are anxious or fearful can be helped in a number of ways:

1. Talking about the problem
Sometimes, just talking to a trusted friend or relative whose opinion we value may go a long way in reducing distress. They may have had similar troubles themselves and are able to share their experiences. There are also many professionals to turn to e.g.family doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, nurse or counselor.


2. Learning to relax
Learning a relaxation technique can help you to unwind and bring tensions and anxiety under control.Relaxation techniques include breathing exercises, meditation and imagery. There are several books and audiotapes available which you can use to teach yourself these techniques.

3. Psychotherapy

This is a more intense talking treatment, which helps patients to recognise, understand and come to terms with reasons for anxiety which may not be readily apparent. Particular cognitive behavioural therapy approaches also help most anxiety disorders, either in conjunction with medication or alone. The technique involves getting the individuals to face their feared situations while providing them with cognitive strategies for reducing their anxiety. Treatment may be more than once a week, lasting for several weeks or months.


4. Medication

A variety of medications are available for the treatment of anxiety disorders. They are often used in conjunction with the methods described above. Tranquilisers and antidepressants are two of the most commonly used drugs.

The most commonly used tranquilisers are the benzodiazepines. They are useful not only for daytime anxietysymptoms but also at night to aid sleep. Although effective, benzodiazepines may cause dependence after prolonged use,resulting in withdrawal symptoms if the drug is stopped or reduced in dosage. Hence, benzodiazepines should only be used for short-term management of anxiety symptoms, and not for long-termtreatment.

Antidepressants are used to treat anxiety as well as depressive symptoms. Unlike benzodiazepines, they do not cause dependence. The commonly used antidepressants include tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonergic noradrenergic re-uptake inhibitors (SNRIs), and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. These must be taken regularly for two to four weeks before significant improvement occurs.

Anxiety disorders have a number of complications. The first complication is reduced functioning.In the extreme cases, this can lead to complete disability in which the person can no longer go to school or hold a job. Depression is also a frequent complication, making the situation worse and heightens the risk for suicide. Substance abuse is also a frequent complication, particularly attempts at self-medication with sedatives or alcohol, and may require parallel treatment with a substance abuse program.

The first step in seeking treatment is to recognise the symptoms described earlier. Many sufferers continue to endure their symptoms because they are afraid to see a professional about their problems, for fear of being regarded as "mad". In fact, most people with anxiety or fears rarely have severe mental illness, and their problems can often be reduced or relieved with treatment.