Anxiety disorder can occur in reaction to life stresses such as financial worries or chronic physical illness. Up to 12% of older adults are identified to have anxiety disorder, this is probably inaccurate due to the tendency of adults to reduce their psychiatric problems. Rational action may be taken to decrease the general level of anxiety. The actions may be suitable to a specific type of stress. For example, if there are everyday worries about financial difficulties, then financial planning may help. Other actions may also develop mental resilience. For example, exercise may help in ease tension and, by improving fitness, enable the individual to handle tasks with no trouble and feel better.
Anxiety disorders are treated with psychotherapy and medication. Education, reassurance and some form of cognitive-behavioral therapy should almost always be used in treatment resulting in lifestyle changes. Social function and quality of life of persons with anxiety disorder are more significantly impaired. In addition, anxiety disorder often coexists with substance abuse or other conditions associated with stress. People with physical symptoms such as insomnia or headaches should also tell their doctors about their feelings of worry and tension. This will help the patient's health care provider to recognize whether the person is suffering from anxiety disorder.
Five major types of anxiety disorders are: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD); Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD); Panic Disorder; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder). Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is very useful in treating anxiety disorder. The cognitive part helps people change their thinking patterns that feed their fears, and the behavioral part helps people change the way they respond to stress situations.
Behavioral therapy often lasts about 12 weeks. It may be conducted individually or with a group of people who have related problems. Group therapy is mostly helpful for social phobia. Often "homework" is assigned for participants to complete between sessions. There is some proof that the benefits of CBT last longer than those of medication for people with panic disorder, and the same may be true for OCD, PTSD, and social phobia. If a disorder recurs later, the same therapy can be used to treat it effectively a second time. Medication can be mixed with psychotherapy for many anxiety disorders, and this is the best treatment method for many people.