Psychotherapy is a popular alternative to traditional medication, though some doctors recommend both forms of treatment in certain cases. Psychotherapy involves talking to a trained professional, such as a psychologist or licensed therapist, and working together to discover the source of the anxiety. From there a patient learns how to better cope with the disorder and deal with its symptoms. This is also known as cognitive behavior therapy.

The goal is not to "cure" personality disorders, since that you cannot cure a person's thinking. Rather, it involves changing the negative thinking patterns of a patient which allow their anxiety to build. They are taught strategies on how to better react to stressful situations. For example, a patient with social phobia would be taught to overcome the belief that others are always watching them and judging their character. They are confronted with past issues and helped to understand why they react negatively to certain stimuli. When they are ready, and after a professional has taught them relaxation and coping techniques, they may be "desensitized" to the object or situation they fear the most.

Another example might be in treating obsessive compulsive disorder. If a patient has a problem with ritualistically washing their hands, then a doctor might encourage him or her to get their hands dirty and then wait before washing them. The time level increases as therapy progresses. This is not torture therapy; the whole point of the session is not to confront what scares a person, rather it's to learn how to cope with the reality of the phobic object and how to reconcile the recurring thoughts. Eventually the person learns that the aftermath of breaking the rituals they have learned is not nearly as disastrous as they anticipated. The anxiety gradually lessens this way, just as the patient learns to better cope with the condition.

People with post traumatic stress disorder may choose psychotherapy as a way to reconcile their traumatic event. It may help to talk about it to someone else, recalling the dangerous incident in a safe place. Along with breathing and relaxation techniques, this therapy helps to reduce the level of anxiety associated with post traumatic stress.

Exposure based therapy is a little more confrontational in its approach. This is for treating certain phobias, which are anxiety disorders related to a specific object or situation. A person is not just obsessive about this fear, though OCD might be an accompanying disorder; but is irrationally and intensely afraid of it. This can certainly affect a person's personal and professional life, as many phobias are simply a fear of everyday things or situations. (dogs, flying, driving, water and so on) Just as in treating OCD, exposure to the feared object is gradually presented, after a patient is taught coping strategies. If it is an animate object then the person might be shown photographs or video tape of the phobic object and then eventually the real thing. The therapist will work with the patient providing guidance and coping education ahead of time and along the way.

Cognitive behavior therapy can be conducted individually or within a group setting. Many believe it to be a more effective treatment than medication, or at least more effective when paired with a prescription. It teaches patients to confront the source of the anxiety, not avoid it.

Tags: anxiety, psychotherapy and anxiety